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I am often told I'm a great communicator. As a writer, I consider that a wonderful compliment and am sincerely humbled by it. But being a great communicator is more than just talking or communicating thoughts and ideas… the flip side of being a good communicator is listening. I might be skilled in expressing ideas verbally or in written form, but I am always seeking to be a better listener.

When I was in school, listening was a necessity. I expected my teachers to know more than I did about their particular subject… and in order to learn… I had to listen to them and hopefully learn from them if I wanted to excel in that class. As we read in Isaiah we are told of a close relationship between teachers and students. By definition, teachers teach, but they also learn, and many times they take classes in order to update their skills. A student's main purpose is to learn, but later on they are also people who are called upon to teach.

The passage in Isaiah speaks of intent listening to God, and of the listener receiving wisdom so that he in turn may pass it on to those whose human strength has failed them. To the Christian, this passage from Isaiah points to Christ, the one taught by his heavenly Father who in turn teaches us about God, the one who comes to lead us by his life and example into the heart of God, the place from which we have become alienated.

God calls us to a life of listening to Christ, and also to one another as members of his body. Life in community depends on listening, and in Christian communities, as we listen to one another, hopefully it's the voice of God we hear speaking to us through other people.

In all Christian communities we're called to hear the voice of Christ in one another. And Christ should speak to us not just in church but in all our relationships: with our families, our friends, our coworkers. Are we acting in accordance with the will of God in our dealings with one another, or are we following our own agenda with reference to some past expectation that has been imposed upon us, or in accordance with how we think people will judge us in the future? It is a struggle.

We believe we have to pass our exams, get rich, impress our friends, keep up with our neighbors, obey our parents, and so on. But if we are to develop spiritually and really become fruitful members of the body of Christ, we may need to unlearn an awful lot, discard a huge weight of baggage and begin again with an open mind.

As we re-orient ourselves to learn from Christ, as we create space for ourselves to contemplate the life of Christ, we begin to experience a different kind of relationship with those near to us, a relationship in which what happens in the present moment is much more important than what has happened in the past or what might happen in the future. I call it – being "present" – noticing things that are happening right now… right in front of you… not yesterday… not tomorrow – but TODAY.

It is in the sanctity of the present moment that we experience our relationship with God and the nearness of God's kingdom and it's in the quality of the present moment that we experience our relationships with one another.

I spend so much time thinking ahead or thinking back – and missing out on now. I've been learning to listen more to others and put my own priorities on the back burner. God has taught me that listening to others is what holds me and everyone else in community.

And listening isn't just something that we do with our ears alone – it is something we do with our heart.

I challenge myself and I challenge you to the following: Listen more…to God, to each other. Be open to what God desires for you. Be present. Live fully. Love more. Seek to understand others. Experience life. Stop. Look around you. Enjoy this magnificent creation God has given us. Stop complaining. Be honest – with yourself and others. Care deeply. Cry. Smile. And when things get tough – just remember to breathe!

"The Way" from Kevin Pauley

The First Sin