Editorial February 26, 1944 Issue

It Pays to Listen

Paul Stark Seeley

Two acquaintances met in New York. One casually asked the other where he was stopping. The latter, seeing his questioner was not really listening for his reply, jocularly answered, "I'm stopping at Madison Square Garden." The unhearing inquirer, hurrying on, called back, "I'll be calling you tomorrow!" (Some distant readers may not know that Madison Square Garden is not a place for paying guests. It is New York's largest convention hall.)

Sometimes we appear to be listening, but we do not hear. Just recently I called the telephone information girl for a number. She gave it clearly enough, but I found myself asking her to repeat it, and I recalled that I had done that before. Why? Because I had not listened. Much time is wasted, and much that is useful is unheard, because we do not listen. This is particularly true when we fail to listen to the voice of God within us, the "still small voice" of Love's promptings and Mind's leadings—the one intelligent, guiding force for man. What is conscience but His voice?

A writer whose writings gave out much inspiration to many people was asked how she could write so often and so helpfully. Her reply was, "I have learned to listen." She had learned, through Christian Science, that Mind, God speaks to man, its manifestation; that this all-intelligent presence is never inarticulate but always articulate, able and willing to impart to man the positive, right ideas which constitute his natural being.

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