Greek philosopher Epictetus is credited with being the first to proclaim, “We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak.” James also exhorts us to “be quick to listen and slow to speak” (1:9). Reality, however, looks like hundreds of sound bytes from the media and social feeds vying for your attention.
Listening to God and others involves a posture of humility, an openness to consider revelation of the heart of God, both through scripture and lived experiences. By listening to God in silence and through scripture, you begin to be transformed into Christ’s likeness. You begin to care for the values Jesus cared about when he walked the earth—values like truth, justice and righteousness.
Jesus also modeled a willingness to listen with compassion to the pain and suffering of those he encountered. When he stopped to listen, he found an incongruence of faith and practice within individuals and systems that ultimately led him to respond. May you be willing to do the same.
Visio Divina (Latin for divine seeing) is a prayer exercise in which you ask God to speak to the eyes of your heart as you meditate on an image. The image can be artwork, a photograph, a scene, or even an icon.
As you gaze at the painting below, consider the questions in quiet reflection. Some parts may speak to you while others may not. Allow about 5 minutes of contemplation per section, but there are no hard and fast rules. Simply be present to the image and allow God to speak to your heart without any particular agenda.
