HOLY LISTENING
Earlier this month, my son and I participated in Blue Ridge Audubon’s Birdathon. During this annual spring fundraising event, teams of birders attempt to see and hear as many species of birds as possible during a 24-hour period. Since two years had passed since our last extended birding adventure, I was eager to spend one-on-one time with my son doing something we both love.
The Birdathon began at 5:00 p.m. on a Saturday. We knew we wouldn’t have the full 24 hours to bird, since I would be preaching at the women’s prison on Sunday afternoon. Accordingly, we charted a course to visit a handful of birding sites where we hoped to find a variety of avian species. By the time we parted ways on Sunday afternoon with a list of 89 species identified, we had traveled over 180 miles on our quest, including stops at the Biltmore Estate, Lake Julian, Mills River Park, Lake Junaluska, Sandy Mush Game Lands, and Enka Lake.
One of the highlights of our birding adventure came early in the Birdathon. On Friday evening, we stood in the dark on a Forest Service road in Pisgah National Forest as a storm approached, hoping to hear an Eastern Whip-poor-will. After waiting only a few minutes on the trail, the bird’s distinctive song rang out. We were elated to achieve our goal before the rain began to fall.
During the Birdathon, my son observed that he was relying on my local expertise, since I have spent substantially more time scoping out the best birding sites in our area. I admit I felt a great deal of satisfaction when I suggested we head to the spillway at Biltmore’s Lagoon to look for a green heron. Moments later, our target bird flew past us, landing in a tree at the base of the spillway.
While I possess more information about where to search for specific species in our area, my son has far greater skill when it comes to identifying birds by their songs and calls. During spring migration, the cacophony of birdsong makes it challenging for me to single out a particular species singing in the chorus. The degree of difficulty is heightened when Canada Geese, Carolina Wrens, Northern Cardinals, Eastern Towhees, or American Robins are active in a soundscape. The vocalizations of these loud and proud birds can easily drown out the melodies of the migrating songbirds that birders are eager to add to their annual checklists.
My son has become quite adept at isolating individual songs, and with his guidance, I am learning to do the same. Whenever I am seeking to differentiate between species, I now pay attention to the song quality - buzzy, clear, or trilled - while also noting the pitch trend - rising or falling, steady or variable. I still have a lot to learn, but with my son’s guidance, I am slowly making progress.
During the past two months, my Bible study group has been discussing Henri Nouwen’s book Reaching Out: The Three Movements of the Spiritual Life. Our most recent discussion focused on “The Prayer of the Heart.” In this chapter, Nouwen asserts that the Bible, silence, and a spiritual director are three important guides for all who are seeking to deepen their relationship with God. In advance of our discussion of this chapter, I was asked to talk about the path that led to my becoming a certified spiritual director, while another class member was invited to share about his experiences as a spiritual directee.
As I considered what I might say to the group, with my Birdathon experiences still fresh on my mind, I realized that the ability to isolate aural input has a spiritual corollary. Spiritual directors are called to a ministry of deep, holy listening. As we listen to the stories shared by our spiritual companions, we seek to help them filter out the noise in their lives and focus their attention on the Spirit’s promptings. In my experience, the voice of God more closely resembles the sweet song of Yellow Warbler perched in the top of a tree than the persistent chatter of a local Carolina Wren rustling in the bushes. The former gently invites you to look up and listen carefully, while the latter forcefully demands your attention at ground level.
Do you have a guide on your spiritual journey, someone who is listening with you for the voice of God? My own spiritual director models holy listening for me. For over three years, she has been gently guiding me to focus my attention on what matters most, helping me to listen for the still small voice that can be easily drowned out by the noise of these chaotic days.
If you’re looking for someone to be your companion on this leg of your spiritual journey, I hope you’ll reach out to me or another spiritual director. We are ready to listen with you for the song of the Spirit.
