Blythe Gryphon

"The preparation for listening to God is LISTENING TO OTHERS. We must know how to listen to them, and understand them with BOTH HEART AND MIND; we are to go beyond mere appearances, and not allow ourselves to be troubled by the different ways they may have of approaching the same questions. Listening to others is not the aim of our life, to be sure, but welcoming our neighbor in this way will train our hearts to become silent, in order to be ready to receive the secret of the Other. For, in whatever circumstances, our main concern must be not just to receive some message or other, but, through the message, to discover the depths of the heart of the one who is speaking to us. If we are not able to do this with the brother we can see, how will we be able to do it with God whom we cannot see?"

"The preparation for listening to God is LISTENING TO OTHERS. We must know how to listen to them, and understand them with BOTH HEART AND MIND; we are to go beyond mere appearances, and not allow ourselves to be troubled by the different ways they may have of approaching the same questions. Listening to others is not the aim of our life, to be sure, but welcoming our neighbor in this way will train our hearts to become silent, in order to be ready to receive the secret of the Other. For, in whatever circumstances, our main concern must be not just to receive some message or other, but, through the message, to discover the depths of the heart of the one who is speaking to us. If we are not able to do this with the brother we can see, how will we be able to do it with God whom we cannot see?"