Ep98 Listening Is Loving

Father Len helps us grapple with what it means to truly listen and why God calls us to be professional listeners. Support Wrestling with God Productions: https://www.GiveSendGo.com/WWGProductions Highlights, Ideas, and Wisdom Shema Prayer: "Listen O Israel, the LORD your God is one. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your mind and all your strength and your neighbor as yourself." Shema means listen, but it really means pay attention. The Shema is the central prayer of Judaism and Catholicism. The Bible says, ears that Shema will discover God and what God has made known. Our society is not trained to listen, but to overpower each other with counter accusations. God meant us to become professional listeners, listening to the word of God and the voice of God in other people. Listening forms community. Not listening or paying full attention destroys community. Marriage is a type of community. The gift of hospitality is your full attention. We can become what we listen to so we must be careful what not to listen to. “First seek to understand, then to be understood.” – Stephen Covey “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” by Stephen R Covey “The only commandment I ever obeyed – ‘Consider the lilies.’” – Emily Dickinson “The number one sin that people are confessing these days is anger.” – Father Len “All morality comes down to attentiveness, attentiveness to God, attentiveness to other people. The essence of immorality is not to be attentive to others or God, not to see or hear other people.” – Iris Murdoch, Irish philosopher “Stolen Focus: Why You Can't Pay Attention—and How to Think Deeply Again” by Johann Hari We welcome your questions and comments: Email: [e-mail] Text or voicemail: 208-391-3738 Links to More Podcasts from Wrestling with God Productions Life Lessons from Jesus and the Church He Founded: http://LifeLessonsfromJesus.org A Priest’s Life: https://idahovocations.com/resources/video-podcasts/