Thought for the Day

As delivered at BBC Radio Bristol this morning:

'We never heard a rabbi with such authority', said the people who had the privilege of listening to Jesus teaching.

'Your ideas are strange', said the people who listened to St Paul preach in Athens. 'We want to hear some more.'

We want to hear some more.

I too learn by listening. Maybe you could have guessed that from someone who is clearly friends with the radio. But it was a while before I grasped it.

Recently I've been listening to a lot of podcasts - TED talks, back editions of science programmes and radio shows. Not everyone wearing headphones is listening to music. I actually feel I'm getting smarter as I walk along. Insert your own punchline.

I love the fact that Tom Pearson, physics teacher at Nailsea school, has a chance to experience astronaut training in Alabama. Tom has a podcast. And writing about that, amongst other things, helped get him selected for his training experience which will help him as an educator. That and the NASA flight suit he will get to keep.

For all the fantastic advances in teaching methodology there is little substitute for listening to someone being interesting about something you know little about and they love. It may also explain our enduring love for John Noakes and Blue Peter.

I'm no scientist. But I enjoy listening to those who are. And maybe one of the secrets of being a parish priest for many years is enjoying hearing people's stories. We all love to listen to well-informed and passionate people. And everyone is well-informed and passionate about themselves.

A wise mentor once told me that the reason we have two ears and one mouth is so we can do twice as much listening as talking. So I'll shut up. Thanks for listening.

Thought for the Day

As delivered this morning to BBC Radio Bristol. It was my first trip there since the breakfast show became 'Steve and Laura at Breakfast'. Now in a different studio (very cold, all presenters wearing warm clothes) but the two-voice presentation makes for good chemistry and an improved listen. I was asked, as part of their 'question of the day', what I say when I am exasperated or stub my toe. Had to admit that the truth was unbroadcastable.

Fun also to notice how hard it is to remember a single digit change in the contact phone number when you have broadcast the same thing, fifty times a day, for several years. There is now a system of £1 fines for anyone who says 0845 instead of 0345. I think they'll need a collection bucket, not box. Good craic:

A friend once came to work with his arm in a sling. Explained it had happened in a car accident.

After gentle probing he admitted that the injury had occurred not in the crash but in the discussion on blame. Too much talking.

So listen. What can you hear?

When you start deeply listening you get beyond the immediate.

Perhaps you can hear traffic, rain, birdsong or the cat purring. Maybe the fridge is making a noise or the washing machine is rumbling and tumbling. Is there a little static or interference, radio not quite tuned?

Is someone talking to you, unaware that you are trying to listen to me?

Is there road noise because you are driving along, or the sound of the train tracks as you commute to work, headphones blocking out most other sounds.

Listening is a skill. We can practise it and get better at it. We have twice as many ears as mouths after all.

'You haven't listened.' I hear that three or four times on this station every week. Truth is, one of the hardest skills of leadership is to convince people you have listened when you are not going to do what they want.

Disciples Peter, James and John once accompanied Jesus up a mountain. The Bible tells us they heard a voice from heaven saying, 'This is my son. Listen to him.' They must have, or we wouldn't have heard of him.

At the end of political party conference season, who should we believe now we've listened to them all? How should we listen to the speech of someone held hostage declaring his home state evil?

Well there are no easy answers, but I'm convinced more listening will help not hinder.