Listening is the foundation of all human relationship. But what is it to listen? Who do we have to be, to be ones whose listening connects, heals, restores, and supports our being true with one another? One response is that we're called to be ones who listen for all that is not said - the vastness of a person, their wholeness, and the 'essential self' that is beneath everything another person is saying. In this way we become a deep and faithful welcome to one another. Could a machine ever do this? Or is there a way in which the depth and particular ethical freedom of being human lends our listening a quality which only we can bring to the world? Hosted, as always, by Lizzie Winn and Justin Wise of Thirdspace.

Because we're travelling this week, the sound quality is a little different from our more regular episodes. We hope to be back to our usual sound quality next week.

Turning Towards Life, a week-by-week conversation inviting us deeply into our lives, is a live 30 minute conversation hosted by Justin Wise and Lizzie Winn of Thirdspace. Find us on FaceBook to watch live and join in the lively conversation on this episode. You can find videos of every episode, and more about the project on the Turning Towards Life website, and you can also watch and listen on Instagram, YouTube, and as a podcast on Apple, Google, Amazon Music and Spotify.

Here’s our source for this week:

Hush

Have you ever just
sat and listened to
a loved one vent?

Silently you held space,
'til from darkness
they'd rallied back?

Support
need not be complex,
it only needs to be only
....that.

Listen
until the clouds crack
and bleed them some sunshine.

Smile
and be their lifelifef,
'til their worst feels like

it's just fine.

Broms the Poet

Photo by Michael & Diane Weidner on Unsplash

306: Listen Until the Clouds Crack