Listening is more than hearing.
To listen you need to engage with the individual (or in the case of Zechariah: angel) speaking to you. You need to make room - in the day, in the hour, in the moment and in your life - for the message to take root. Listening is an organic process - words fall into the fertile soil that is you (your life, your time, your purposes) and from there the words reach for the light so they might grow and bear fruit. Listening is the process that takes place after one has heard the facts, the data, the questions. When we listen, we are making connections between disparate parts of our story, seeking bridges between the message and the messenger and us, discovering a new path for the future or a new meaning for a portion of our past.
Zechariah (father of John the Baptist) and Joseph (guardian of Jesus) and Mary (mother of God) were each called to listen beyond the words to the message of God's continuing care for all whom God has created - what we call the salvation of the world.
Lord, help us listen during this season of Advent; to listen for your message to each of us so it may grow in our lives and bring light to others. AMEN
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