"I will never forget meeting Olivia Newton-John years ago at a charity event — not because she was so beautiful (which she was), but because of how she treated our two little boys. When my husband and sons and I were introduced to her, she immediately knelt down in front of the boys so that she was at eye level with them. She then looked at both of them, asked them how they were, and listened intently to their responses. I did not expect her to treat our children in such attentive and affirming ways, especially when there were so many adults standing around waiting to meet her.
"Listening attentively is one of the most powerful ways to connect with another human being. When we listen to the deepest needs and concerns of another's soul, we affirm his or her very personhood. And isn't that what we all want, to be validated as persons of worth? As fiction writer Taylor Caldwell once wrote, 'our most desperate need is for someone to listen to us as a human soul.' Listening to someone as a human soul requires that we look beyond superficial appearances and assumptions to the realization that this person has been created in the image of God. That awareness has a powerful effect on how we listen. Our listening becomes a sacred act in which we see another person through the lens of God's love — beyond the surface to his or her soul. In our interview, when I asked Mindy Caliguire how she would describe sacred listening, she said, 'When we listen, we invite someone to share their story — and that's holy ground. We honor others' stories by listening to them and looking for the fingerprints of God in their story.'
"My friend Bev, who has been trained as a spiritual director, is especially gifted at sacred listening. When I talk to her, she listens intently, remembers what I say, sifts through my words, and seems to know what to focus on for me to process. I can almost see her silently checking with the Holy Spirit to discern when to listen and when to respond. Oftentimes when we have been together, I feel incredibly calm, as if my soul has just been to the spa. Bev knows how to listen sacredly in ways that help heal souls."
