Anyone Listening?

Peter's Journal January 29, 2008

If every day is seen as a gift, and every person we meet of value, and all actions designed to make this a better world, then a road map, a set of guidelines must be mandatory to achieve our idea of a just world. Perfection comes with hard work.

 It is difficult to find our way all by ourselves, and that is why we have educational systems, mentorship possibilities, and a host of people who take our hand as we walk on life’s journey.  We are, none of us, self made – this is a term that has no place, because we are all products of our schooling, our genetic coding, our behavioral conditioning, who we associate with, and on and on.  We are never self made persons, period.

I have been reflecting upon the life of a unique individual, and will continue to do so, who helped shape my thinking about life, yet, I wonder as did John Seeley, is anyone out there listening to the teachers, the book of nature, and historical precedence. As I continue this series of 52 consecutive weeks thinking about life’s lessons, many of which were shaped, honed or honored by my 30 years of listening to my elder John, I wonder if anyone really cares what I or, or for that matter, what a great thinker like John thought. He confided in me how alone he felt during certain periods of his life, and even in the very end when surrounded by a loving community, few honored or respected his vast and profound wisdom.

This was very revealing to me, because he was respected and admired by colleagues throughout his illustrious career. John was literally listened to by students and peers numbering in the thousands, as well as Presidents and Potentates.  We discussed on several occasions the impact of an article, a letter, a book, and in my case, even a sermon might have on the listener.  Recognizing we are caught up in the sounds of the day, we wondered if the modern brain had room for the thoughts of others; especially the profound thinkers of the past.  And, after we determined the spoken and written word still has great validity, especially coming from people of wisdom, we addressed our concern about relatively few people thinking about the cries coming from nature. Is anyone really listening?

John was an active listener.  He put a lot of energy into listening.  Never passive, he always heard what you were saying and then responded accordingly.  He taught me time and time again to stop one’s own thought process long enough to let the voices of others penetrate deeply so that we may truly hear what someone has to say.  He passed on to me the importance of listening to the times as well, and for me that is what creation is saying – listen Peter, listen carefully to the trees, waters, and creatures.

Like Paul Revere riding through Boston at night crying out the British are coming, thousands of voices from around the globe are desperately proclaiming all is not well with creation and we must listen to the book of nature before it is too late to do anything about the collapse.   Active listening means to put aside one’s own agenda so the message becomes clear.  Melting glaciers, homeless polar bears, honey bees, frogs and salamanders, skuas and guillemots of Scotland’s shore bird population are all speaking to us in their own way.

John spoke and listened in an era of segregation. He also listened to the pleas of individuals on death row and wrote hundreds of letters to governors advising them as to why the death penalty was immoral.  Did they listen?  In the majority of situations we will never know, but a strange set of circumstances indicated indeed some listened.  The state of New Jersey and the United Nations all basically said, and during the week of John’s dying, that the death penalty was immoral and should be banned.

John, though you may not have fully known the impact of your word and deeds,  many listened to you because you were an active listener who cared about the voices of others. Thanks for being the best listener I have ever known.