Listening to the Voice of God in One Another

“Our ability to hear the voice of God is only as good as our ability to hear to one another when we are in conflict.” 

I came across this statement several years ago, and regrettably I do not recall the author.  It is a statement that has been with me a lot recently, as I contemplate the challenges in our communities, our culture, and our world. 

When things heat up, when people disagree with us, when we are challenged in some way, listening can be difficult.  It is tempting to take a debate stance, pitting our ideas against someone else’s ideas.  The inherent message can become: “I am right, and you are wrong.”  This tends to deepen the tension and resistance, meaning that neither party is really hearing the other person.  This makes it easier to discount the other person’s ideas or to marginalize them in some way, diminishing our capacity to see the incredible wonder and beauty of the other person.

Mark Nepo says: “To listen is to lean in softly with the willingness to be changed by what we hear.”  This does not mean we need to abandon our convictions, but it does invite us to become curious about the other person’s perspective and their lived experience.  However much we may disagree with their viewpoint, there is a person in front of us who deserves love and respect. 

This invites us to consider how we can honor and value the other person and seek to place ourselves in their moccasins.  This is not easy.  We must be willing to let go of our agendas, suspend judgment, and see the world through the other person’s eyes.  

When I do this, I experience an opening.  I may not change my opinion, but something in me changes.  I sense a greater connection with the other person – and a connection with something deeper and more comprehensive than either of us – or both of us together.  I begin to sense a Presence that lies within, underneath, and between us.  I begin to hear the Voice of God.  This is a voice that finds expression not in individual opinions and ideas, but in the space between us.  It is a voice that is calling us back into harmony with one another and with Itself.

Conflict is part of the life experience, an aspect of life that challenges us on many levels.  Are we willing to step outside of our preconceived ideas and comfort zones, and truly listen?