On a recent flight to Arizona to visit my mom, I sat behind two twenty something men. For the entire two hour flight they spent the time talking. Well, not just talking. They were talking loudly, but it wasn’t just the volume that was annoying. No. Their conversation consisted of a continuous one-up-man-ship. I finally put my headphones on so I wouldn’t have to listen.
Have you been around people who just talk to talk? They say very little that seems important, but they have such a need to say it.
One of the parts of the Christmas story that has always intrigued me involves Zechariah and the Angel. The Angel comes with some really good news and instead of accepting it, Zechariah choses to question the Angel: How? And for that he is silenced until after the baby is born.
There obviously is a time to speak and a time to listen. Did you know the word “listen” occurs 506 times in the Bible (according to biblegateway.com and the NIV)? Jesus made several of those references: Let the one who has ears hear.
Last time I checked, that’s just about everybody.
We have helped raise our grandson. I find myself often telling him to stop talking. His constant jibber or rebuttle during correction is not good. Often if he would just stop talking he would avoid trouble. The only times he has moved down on the behavior scale at school have been because he was talking when he shouldn’t.
Picture with me what it would be like if we did less talking this Advent. What would it be like if we listened more? Listened to each other…to God.
We might actually understand why God through the Psalmist instructed us to: Be still and know that I am God. (Psalm 46:10)
How ’bout you go first. I’m all ears.
Pot of Manna 