IS 58:1-9A
PS 51:3-4, 5-6AB, 18-19
MT 9:14-15
In today’s readings I am reminded of the multitude of voices
that exist, even if there is one clear one to which we should listen. I am
reminded that there are competing ideas of what is good and true, even if the
message from Jesus is clear.
Lately, I have trouble making sense of all the voices I hear
throughout the day. Sometimes it does feel like they are voices in my head,
because I consume these voices without the context of others. Whether it is
reading email or the news on my phone, zoning out by looking at pictures on
Instagram, listening to the radio or to podcasts, I hear these voices when I am
alone. While solitude can be refreshing and invigorating, solitude makes it
more difficult to discern what is real and true. Our interactions with others
confirm our reality, but when there are so many voices that I am hearing on my
own, I struggle. It is too much to decipher alone. In thinking of the multitude
of voices, inaction becomes an easy choice. When there is too much to do or too
many choices to make, inaction is the easiest choice. Further, listening should
be actionable, and thus relational. Listening can be the feeding of the poor or
the sheltering of the homeless.
The idea of fasting during Lent can be interpreted many
ways. It can be a literal fast or a change of habit, and I use it as an
opportunity to reevaluate a part of my life and to hit the re-set button. I’m
hoping that this Lent I can be mindful of the many voices I hear every day, and
that I can practice discerning the truth from them. I hope I am open enough to
hear others, to engage with them, and I hope I listen more carefully to the clearest
message we have, to love God and to love others above all else. I hope I
evaluate how I enact that love, as I do think it is literal and actionable. My
fast can be an evaluation of to whom and how I listen to people, how I make my
listening an action, and to engage in a community through listening.
Julie O'Heir is the Program Coordinator for the SLU Prison Program.
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