Learning to Listen

PHOTOS: Mary van Balen ‘The rich man replied, “Father, I beg you then to send Lazarus to my father’s house, since I have five brothers, to give them warning so that they do not come to this place of torment too.” “They have Moses and the prophets,” said Abraham “let them listen to them..” “Ah no, father Abraham,” said the rich man “but if someone comes to them from the dead, they will repent.” Then Abraham said to him, “If they will not listen either to Moses or to the prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone should rise from the dead.”’
Gospel: Luke 16:19-31

Sometimes I think if only God would speak more clearly, I would be able to find the path to follow, the job to take, the place to move. Luke’s gospel tells me otherwise. God is speaking. The difficulty is more on the listener’s end.

The story about a man stranded on the roof of a house during a flood comes to mind. He is sure God is going to save him, so when someone comes in a boat, a helicopter, and a raft, he declines their offer of help: “God will save me,” he says. After he drowns and goes to heave he walks up to God and complains: “You said you would save me. What happened?”

“I sent you someone in a boat, a helicopter, and a raft. What else did you want?”

The man could not see God’s hand in the offers of help missed his chances. Luke is saying the same to the rich man who begs Abraham to send Lazarus to his brothers’ house to warn them not to repeat the behavior that landed the rich man in hell.Like God says to the stranded man, Abraham brushes aside the rich man’s request: “No, your brothers have Moses and the prophets. What more could they want? If they don’t heed their words, they would not believe someone, even if he were to come to them from the dead!”

We have God’s word. We have the Spirit dwelling within. We have spiritual companions who have listened longer and perhaps more deeply than we have oursleves. God has come to live among us, to show us the way.

“Mary,” I hear Luke telling me, ” listen. Learn to listen and you will no need a special sign, or God’s voice echoing in your ear.”

Listening. Lent is a good time to remind ourselves of the importance of the quiet prayer of listening. Surely, God is happy to hear our thanksgiving and praise, our needs, our pain. But we cannot learn how to follow Chirst if we do not listen.