Midweek Faith Lift
Shhhhh! Be quiet! Listen!
Todd Davis, Guest Speaker
June 14, 2023
Good morning, my friends, and welcome to Unity Church of Ames! How’s it goin, eh?
My name is Todd Davis, and I am Rev. Deb’s husband. Deb is currently visiting her sister in St. Louis. Thank you all very much for joining me, and it is an honor to be in front of you this morning. It is fantastic to “see” your beautiful faces & spirits. Both here and online!
I chose the topic of being still and listening because I believe that we live in a noisy, aggressive world and it is always good to take time to listen within as well. We desire to be heard, but many of us do now want to hear. Being a somewhat extroverted person, I know that I like to talk, and I need to remind myself to RELAX, be present now, and listen to others share their story.
For my talk, I had thought about just saying. “Shhhhhh! Be quiet! Listen!” then being quiet for 20 minutes, then giving a “horse laugh” at the end of the 20 minutes. Somehow, I think that would have gone over like a lead balloon.
Shhhh! Be quiet! Listen to yourself.
Listen to your body. Our bodies are communicating its needs to our brains 24/7 with no exceptions. They are constantly giving us valuable information. How does your body feel right now? Listen for the subtleties. A few examples:
Headaches, muscle aches not caused by activity, Sluggishness, back soreness, Brain fog, swelling & inflammation of any kind, acid stomach, weight gain, slow digestion, teeth grinding or dry mouth during sleep, irregular sleep patterns, trick knee or lumbago. Am I popular yet?
I find that if I am falling asleep and I notice that my mouth is dry after drinking lots of water, it means that I am carrying a lot of stress at the moment. I am literally sucking the moisture out of my mouth unconsciously. Your body carries all the physical and emotional memories from birth, and they can remain unresolved in our bodies.
I would recommend the book, The Body Keeps the Score, by Bessel Van Der Kolk, M.D. The book talks about facing trauma, the imprints of trauma and how it affects all systems of your body, and finally, many paths to recovery including EMDR and rewiring your brain. I understand that this is a very brief mention of an amazing book. I could write a series of talks about this one book, because it was life-changing for me. The book ends with finding your voice and making conscious choices. It is a fascinating read, but there is a lot to digest in the book.
Listen to your feelings. Do not judge them. Just observe and be mindful of what you are experiencing. When we remove distractions, we may find that we are carrying emotions that we are not consciously aware of. We then become aware of what is behind procrastination, overeating (especially sugar), spending too much time on Facebook or obsessing about a person or what they did or said in the past.
Of course, listen to your thoughts as well. An idea may be to journal about subtle thought you habitually carry without realizing it such as: “I am not enough”, “I need to fix my mistakes”, “I cannot trust anyone,” or “The world is a horrible place.” Look for your subtle thoughts. As I have stated previously, thoughts come from beliefs and habits. Changing our beliefs take a lot of time and practice.
This is a huge topic and a whole series of talks could be given about this one subject. What I shared is just a tiny snapshot.
Shhhh! Be quiet! Listen to each other!
I need to say that my sister & I had numerous arguments as teenagers, as siblings do. She would yell, “Todd, where did you put my calculator. I need it now!” as a joke, I would then say, “Shhhhhh. Be quiet! Listen to the Marie!” By the way, we now have an amazing relationship & we get along very well.
So much of the political and social division in our country today is because we do not take time to actively listen to those with different viewpoints. We remain in our own bubbles and silly silos. Of course, the media loves this, but that is whole ‘nother topic. Instead of actively listening to the other person or group, we plan our own responses or arguments. Of course, some things are non-negotiable such as equal rights for everyone regardless of race, religion, or lack thereof, sexual orientation, nationality and gender identity. Another non-negotiable is regarding human induced climate change.
So many of us demand to be heard and have a voice, however, how many of us seek to actually listen & hear?
Last fall, at an event in Lexington, Kentucky, I met a woman in the group and we ended up talking a lot during the time. We talked about travel & meditation, herbal remedies and, of course, our jobs. We agreed on a lot of things. We enjoyed each other’s company. Then on the last day, she told me her political preference and her liking for the party’s leader. I was quite surprised and disappointed……at first. We debated for about 25 minutes during the horse race at Keeneland Track. It was never heated or angry. We parted ways at the end of the event with true respect & enjoyment for each other. I emailed Sonja a couple of days later asking if she had safe travels home & she told me that she loved my spirit. I realized that those with differing views actually have more in common than I realized, because I LISTENED to her.
“Thou shalt listen with both ears and with true intent, even if there is discord in thy conversation. This creates compassion & awareness. This comes from the 1st book of Todd, Chapter 2, verses 5 & 6.
I have heard that God gave us two ears and one mouth for a reason. Can you imagine having two mouths? With your eyes closed in a swimming pool, one mouth would be saying, “Marco” and the other would say, “Polo!” You would be busy finding the other mouth.
Shhhhh! Be quiet! Listen to Divine Spirit!
This is another topic where a whole series of talks can be given. I would like to start by reading from the Book of Mark & 1Kings.
Mark 4:21-24 A Lamp under a Bushel Basket
21 He said to them, “Is a lamp brought in to be put under the bushel basket or under the bed and not on the lampstand? 22 For there is nothing hidden, except to be disclosed; nor is anything secret, except to come to light. 23 If you have ears to hear, then hear!” 24 And he said to them, “Pay attention to what you hear; the measure you give will be the measure you get, and it will be added to you.
To me, the lamp represents illumination, clarity and understanding. This applies to listening to yourself, others and God. Jesus is literally saying that when you are humble enough to listen, you become greater, hence, “It will be added unto you.” Situations can only be brought to light when there is active listening involved.
1 Kings 19:11–12 Elijah Meets God at Horeb
11 He said, “Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.” Now there was a great wind, so strong that it was splitting mountains and breaking rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind, and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake, 12 and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire, and after the fire a sound of sheer silence.
Folks, Divine Love is not found in the noise and distractions. Although Divine Love is ALWAYS present, omnipresent, it is much easier to experience the Oneness in the sheer silence.
Proverbs 3:6 Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; God is the one who will keep you on track.
Isaiah 30:21 Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.”
Psalm 46:10, Be still, and know that I am God.
I would like to close today with a poem that was first shared with me by my brother, Harry, when I was 8 years old. At the time, I did not understand it very well, however, it remained in my subconscious, because I remembered it in preparation for this talk. And I remembered it because I listened within.
Desiderata
Go placidly amid the noise and the haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence. As far as possible, without surrender, be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even to the dull and the ignorant; they too have their story.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons; they are vexatious to the spirit. If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain or bitter, for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. Keep interested in your own career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs, for the world is full of trickery. But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals, and everywhere life is full of heroism.
Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love; for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment, it is as perennial as the grass.
Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.
Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should. Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be. And whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life, keep peace in your soul. With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.
by Max Ehrmann ©1927
Thank you all very kindly for joining me today. I truly appreciate it. God bless each and every one of you. Now, on to our meditation song…………
Blessings on the Path and deep gratitude to Todd,
Rev. Deb