Hearing, Listening, Understanding, Responding.

I’ve just had breakfast with Jack. Rachel and I have been good friends with Jack and Brenda for many years…

Brenda accuses Jack of not listening to him; I’m subject to similar accusations from Rachel. We’re probably both guilty as charged. Jack and I discussed the difference between hearing and listening… and then working out an appropriate response…

Musing… recent random conversations…

…Dawn was telling me how foxes who live in the woods near her are keeping her awake at night. …Allan was talking about the nesting seagulls who wake him up at 4.00 each morning.

Sometimes we hear things that we’d rather not hear.

…Chatting to Tim… Sometimes I have to repeat a sentence… He knows his hearing isn’t all that it should be. He’s going to have his hearing tested and hopefully will get a verdict.

Sometimes we can’t hear things when we want to hear them.

…Some friends tell me what they think, tell me what I ought to think, then tell me what they think I think. They’re longwinded and love the sound of their own voice.

Sometimes we don’t listen because we talk too much.

…Our French relations asked us the difference in between ‘uncle’ and ‘ankle’. They understood the difference; they tried to hear the difference and then pronounce the difference.

Sometimes careful listening is required that leads to an appropriate response.

…Last night the news focused on the prolonged hot weather, forest fires in the UK and Europe, climate change, future weather patterns…

We must hear the words, see the current situation, understand future implications, and make appropriate responses.

Musing… Jesus concluded his story about the sower, the seed and the different ground with: ‘He who has ears, let him hear’.

(I like the play on words… ears of corn… a corny joke…)

Jesus then talks about people ‘seeing with their eyes, hearing with their ears, understanding with their hearts, and turning to him for healing.’

Musing… My hearing, listening, understanding, responding. Today.