“Silence is Consent. Can you
us now?”

This morning we went to a three hour workshop by Dr. Megan McKenna, an internationally known author, theologian, storyteller, and lecturer. By lecturing, stories and using audience participation she talk about hearing and listening, their meaning and differences. She said the Gospels are full of lessons about listening and hearing. In the Baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River the voice of God says: “This is my child, Listen to him.” Jesus often talks about listening and hearing like after a parable saying “Let those who have ears to hear, hear.” Listening in the Gospel and in Church teaching means practicing what we hear and believe.

Since high school I have been concerned about hearing the Word of God and practicing it. People who hear but do not practice our not really listening. When I hear something good, like the talk this morning, I feel a need to reflect on the words and a need to ask myself “What can I do about it” in my life.

After the talk I asked her privately a question that has been in my mind for a long time. I mentioned the quote by Elie Wiesel, an Holocaust survivor, “The opposite of love is not hate, it’s indifference.” Then I asked her when in authority show indifference or just ignore your message what do you do? She said you keep on speaking and presenting the message you believe in. I mentioned that often leads to more marginalizing and stereotyping and she responded that it is why it is important to join with other people on in communicating the same message. I could have gone on but others wanted to talk with her with their concerns. Also that was one of the best answers I have received so far.

My follow up comment would have been how to organize and get people to join together on one issue when there is so many issues of justice and peace being thrown out by the “powers to be”. Every individual has their own justice and peace issue. We stay divided and working together becomes more difficult.
Megan McKenna mentioned, something I already knew, that in the Mediterranean culture of Jesus’ time there was no sense of the individual. Everyone was part of a group and a nation, Jewish, Greek or Roman. When people heard the parable of the Judgement of Nations in Matthew 25 they were not thinking about how they, as an individual, fed the hungry or visit the imprison, but how the nation, state or group did these acts of mercy.

Can you hear us now!

Comments

Please send any comments on this post to . Let us know which day’s post your comments pertain to. If the comments are appropriate we will post them here for you.