Katrick: Remember to listen, because God is talking to us
One of the commercials that never fails to make me laugh out loud (LOL) occurs in the Grand Canyon.
A woman exploring the canyon squints trying to see what's beyond the ledge. Across the canyon, a Visionworks employee shouts that she could get two new pairs of glasses starting at $99! The woman ponders how the worker can see her, but it turns out she can't. She just wants everyone to know about the deal on glasses.
In the United Church of Christ, the denomination in which I am ordained, we have this saying that, “God is still speaking!” (even when we’ve forgotten how to listen.) As a Spiritual Guide, I see this as a steady stream of Spirit nudges and whispers that the Christ within wants and needs to spend more time with us.
When it comes to the Divine-human One trying to get our attention, it must feel to our Still Speaking God like shouting across a chasm that runs deep and wide. For within that canyon is a host of disruptions, distractions, and personal agendas competing for our attention.
In other words, Jesus is always ready and willing to respond to our prayers. All we have to do is open our ears and hear what he wants us to hear, and stop squinting to see what he wants us to see.
Whether I’m giving or receiving spiritual direction, this means Jesus is sitting in the third chair, fully accessible and available with some important and life-changing things to say. No holy place or sacred space is foolproof.
There are times that you and I will lose focus, because we’re human. Just let those thoughts and feelings come and go and simply refocus.
In our personal relationships with Jesus Christ, there is nothing more important than to know that our Friend and Savior loves us so, “for the Bible tells us so.” "Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” (Jeremiah 29:12-13) “And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him." (1 John 5:15)
The best part of it is that if necessary, Jesus will shout it across a whole canyon that, “Whoever we are or wherever we are on life’s journey,” we’ll always be welcome to “call on and pray to him and he will listen.”
Mark Katrick is a pastor and spiritual director.
This article originally appeared on Newark Advocate: Katrick: Remember to listen, because God is talking to us
