Listen

I was talking with a friend the other night. It was one of those deep, rambling, let’s-catch-up-and-talk-about-life kinds conversations. The good kind. We ended up talking about sharing, and how it’s hard when our friends aren’t forthcoming, when they’re not the type to elucidate. How it’s awkward and frustrating to be that person who pulls details from their mouths and little grains of truth from their hearts. “Well,” I said, “everyone needs to be listened to.”

The conversation stopped. “You’re right,” he said. “That’s a good thought.”

*****

There is a newspaper in Nashville called the Contributor. It’s a street paper, much like Streetwise in Chicago – its vendors are homeless or formerly homeless, and buy copies of the paper on their own dime to sell for a profit.

One of my roommates was talking with the man who sells the Contributor at the grocery store on our street. She returned home with a free copy of the paper.

“Wait, why did he just give you one?” I asked.

“Well, I had stopped to talk to him and…”

She continued her story, but my mind paused, fixated. I had stopped to talk to him. She stopped to pay attention. To listen. The man had next to nothing, and yet he gave generously when he was treated with dignity. He was willing to give away one of his precious papers, just for the chance to be heard.

*****

My campus minister recently challenged the ministry team at RUF Vanderbilt to get together with a friend and listen to their thoughts on God. These leaders were not to argue with their friend, and they were not to enter the conversation with an agenda. They were simply to listen. What do they think about Christianity, forgiveness, truth? Do they struggle with matters of faith?

There is something fundamental about being heard. Who in your life needs to be listened to? Does anyone if your life listen to you?