Second Sunday in Lent - Hearing
“Now every year, [Jesus’] parents went to Jerusalem for the festival of the Passover. And when he was twelve years old, they went up as usual for the festival. When the festival was ended and they started to return, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but his parents did not know it. Assuming that he was in the group of travelers, they went a day’s journey. Then they started to look for him among their relatives and friends. When they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem to search for him. After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers.” - Luke 2: 41-47
Perhaps you’ve noticed, too, but I think all the popular video conferencing platforms (Zoom, Teams, etc.) have gotten pretty great at filtering out most background noises during the parade of calls that we find ourselves participating in. (I say “most” noises because there’s always that one dog barking sharply on your colleague Silvia’s feed that can be heard loud and clear. Hi, Jacobo!) I’m grateful for this technology, as it clears out the aural clutter and helps me focus on what’s most important.
Some of our brains do this a little differently than others, but our brains actually serve as the background noise filter for our lives (why most of us aren’t aware of a clock tick-tick-ticking after a while). That way, we can better focus on the words of our friend who is sitting across from us at the outdoor cafe, and not be too distracted by the sounds of nearby passing traffic.
And in our scripture passage above, focused Jesus is - on the words of the teachers in the temple. I imagine Jesus’ brain filtering out all the other distracting sounds of the busy temple (including, I’m guessing, folks asking where this kid’s parents are) so that he can focus on what’s most important to him.
I’d like to suggest that one way to get to a place where we can be focused on the most important sounds in our lives is to first be present to every sound around us (I know, I know, hear me out). If I’m feeling unfocused, I find that sometimes it’s effective to take a break and just focus on identifying the sounds around me. (Current list: the hum of my air conditioner; my dog shifting around in his bed; a single bird outside greeting the day with a song; the sound of my own breath moving through my nose.) Taking the time to turn the background noise filter off and be aware of these sounds, even just for a few moments, can allow us the opportunity to then reset and refocus.
And what could be better than the freedom to choose what or who we are listening to? There are plenty of sounds competing for our attention. Where is God showing up in the sounds of your life this Lenten season?
Invitation: Set a timer for one minute on your phone, close your eyes (if you want to), and try to identify as many sounds around you as you can during that time. Take a deep breath. How do you feel? What happens next?
Prayer: God, you who hear the cries of your people, bless my hearing. Help me to be open to the sounds of the world around me, and may my experience of those sounds ultimately focus me on you.