Listening for the questions
I am writing on the first day of 2016. I have listened to an interview with Carrie Newcomer, the singer, songwriter, poet, teacher, worked out at the gym, talked with a client on the phone, and chatted with several friends via the internet. My first resolve for this New Year is to “listen” for the questions instead of starting with all the chatter which purports to answer a question which has yet to be made clear.
Earlier when listening to the interview with Carrie Newcomer on the NPR program, “On Being” hosted by Krista Tippett, her discussion about her practice as a Quaker reminded me of the practice of Quakers who sit quietly and listen during the service only speaking if they feel strongly moved to do so. Quakers also practice consensus decision making. This process also requires listening and acceptance.
My experience is that many of we humans, including this human, are quick to provide our answers. Often we may present our answers as “the answers” and, yet, if we are asked to clearly articulate the questions which we are answering we might find this very difficult.
As I read the Saint Petersburg edition of the Tampa Tribune today, Jnuary 1, 2016, I was acutely aware of how many of the articles or news stories were about answers. Whether it was the survey result which indicated that United States citizens place a “higher priority on preserving the rights of Christians than for other faith groups, ranking Muslims as the least deserving of the protection, … (“Backing for atheists and non-Christians’ freedoms dwindles” by Rachel Zoll and Emily Swanson of The Associated Press), reports on the campaigns of various presidential candidates, the million dollar bail of the mother who helped her young son violate his probation and flee to Mexico, the decision to the United States to sell more weapons to some other countries, or the listing of some of the cases which will come before the Supreme Court of the United States this year, it was clear that I am surrounded by people with answers. Clearly they must know the questions if they know the answers. Of course, I do not need to look to the newspaper, listen to NPR or other news media, read one of the many new books available, or search the internet to find answers. I can just listen to my own chatter. This is what happens when I decide I am going to meditate or make a firm resolve that I will attend a meeting or a gathering and not offer an opinion. I resolve to listen and soon some poltergeist takes charge of my mouth and words are pouring out. Actually, what I first notice is that the neurons in brain are firing quickly gathering chattering thoughts filled with answers. Just this morning at the gym someone was generously sharing a spiritual experience he had while visiting friends in Georgia during the recent holidays I “found myself” wanting to comment or share my experience or explain to him why he had this experience or…. Chatter, chatter, chatter!! Some other creature is attempting to counter this chatter with an order to “Just shut up and listen.” Now a third part of my mind is noticing the argument between the chattering part and the part which is ordering the chattering to stop. Mercy! I wonder who else will show up before I can be quiet enough to listen.
The basic message of the person sharing the story was that he needed to trust the process and not think that he knows the question or the answer. I am not sure that he would say this, but this is what I heard.
Carrie Newcomer often uses the metaphor of light or “the light” while exploring what it means for her to show up. One of her songs is:
[music: “A Light in the Window” by Carrie Newcomer]
MS. NEWCOMER: [singing] What would I change if
The choice were mine?
I was doing the best
I knew at the time.
And every door that was opened
And door that closed,
All the things that made me grow,
Sent me off down another road,
Off to look for a light,
For a light in the window.
Now the old has already passed away
But the new is too new
to be born today.
So I'm throwing out seeds
On the winter snow,
As a cold wind begins to blow,
Standing here on a new threshold,
I can see a light,
There's a light in the window.
And the world is made of stone,
And the world is made of glass.
And the world is made of light,
And it's moving very fast.
We pass from mystery to mystery
So I won't lie
I don't know what happens
When people die.
But I hope that I see you walking slow,
Smiling wide as a sunrise grows,
Drop my map with a thousand folds,
In the distance I see it glow,
There's a light, there's a light
There's a light in the window
As I begin this new year I know that all I need to do is to sit quietly with that internal “light” on ready to received what walks in from the unknown- the dark. Perhaps this year I will hear the question or one of the important questions or perhaps I will just shut up long enough to avoid using the chatter to cover up the opening through which the light might come.
Written January 1, 2016
I am writing on the first day of 2016. I have listened to an interview with Carrie Newcomer, the singer, songwriter, poet, teacher, worked out at the gym, talked with a client on the phone, and chatted with several friends via the internet. My first resolve for this New Year is to “listen” for the questions instead of starting with all the chatter which purports to answer a question which has yet to be made clear.
Earlier when listening to the interview with Carrie Newcomer on the NPR program, “On Being” hosted by Krista Tippett, her discussion about her practice as a Quaker reminded me of the practice of Quakers who sit quietly and listen during the service only speaking if they feel strongly moved to do so. Quakers also practice consensus decision making. This process also requires listening and acceptance.
My experience is that many of we humans, including this human, are quick to provide our answers. Often we may present our answers as “the answers” and, yet, if we are asked to clearly articulate the questions which we are answering we might find this very difficult.
As I read the Saint Petersburg edition of the Tampa Tribune today, Jnuary 1, 2016, I was acutely aware of how many of the articles or news stories were about answers. Whether it was the survey result which indicated that United States citizens place a “higher priority on preserving the rights of Christians than for other faith groups, ranking Muslims as the least deserving of the protection, … (“Backing for atheists and non-Christians’ freedoms dwindles” by Rachel Zoll and Emily Swanson of The Associated Press), reports on the campaigns of various presidential candidates, the million dollar bail of the mother who helped her young son violate his probation and flee to Mexico, the decision to the United States to sell more weapons to some other countries, or the listing of some of the cases which will come before the Supreme Court of the United States this year, it was clear that I am surrounded by people with answers. Clearly they must know the questions if they know the answers. Of course, I do not need to look to the newspaper, listen to NPR or other news media, read one of the many new books available, or search the internet to find answers. I can just listen to my own chatter. This is what happens when I decide I am going to meditate or make a firm resolve that I will attend a meeting or a gathering and not offer an opinion. I resolve to listen and soon some poltergeist takes charge of my mouth and words are pouring out. Actually, what I first notice is that the neurons in brain are firing quickly gathering chattering thoughts filled with answers. Just this morning at the gym someone was generously sharing a spiritual experience he had while visiting friends in Georgia during the recent holidays I “found myself” wanting to comment or share my experience or explain to him why he had this experience or…. Chatter, chatter, chatter!! Some other creature is attempting to counter this chatter with an order to “Just shut up and listen.” Now a third part of my mind is noticing the argument between the chattering part and the part which is ordering the chattering to stop. Mercy! I wonder who else will show up before I can be quiet enough to listen.
The basic message of the person sharing the story was that he needed to trust the process and not think that he knows the question or the answer. I am not sure that he would say this, but this is what I heard.
Carrie Newcomer often uses the metaphor of light or “the light” while exploring what it means for her to show up. One of her songs is:
[music: “A Light in the Window” by Carrie Newcomer]
MS. NEWCOMER: [singing] What would I change if
The choice were mine?
I was doing the best
I knew at the time.
And every door that was opened
And door that closed,
All the things that made me grow,
Sent me off down another road,
Off to look for a light,
For a light in the window.
Now the old has already passed away
But the new is too new
to be born today.
So I'm throwing out seeds
On the winter snow,
As a cold wind begins to blow,
Standing here on a new threshold,
I can see a light,
There's a light in the window.
And the world is made of stone,
And the world is made of glass.
And the world is made of light,
And it's moving very fast.
We pass from mystery to mystery
So I won't lie
I don't know what happens
When people die.
But I hope that I see you walking slow,
Smiling wide as a sunrise grows,
Drop my map with a thousand folds,
In the distance I see it glow,
There's a light, there's a light
There's a light in the window
As I begin this new year I know that all I need to do is to sit quietly with that internal “light” on ready to received what walks in from the unknown- the dark. Perhaps this year I will hear the question or one of the important questions or perhaps I will just shut up long enough to avoid using the chatter to cover up the opening through which the light might come.
Written January 1, 2016
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