When a person has nothing to say, only then are they (ontologically) ready to listen because they are silent ontologically, not just with their mouth and tongue; they enter into hesychia, the silence of thoughts, into the emptiness whose meaning is the desire-eros to accept the Truth-the Other-the Hypostasis, and to give oneself! When I have something to say when I am smart, wise, competent, an “expert” in all matters, I will not listen, I will speak, even when my tongue is silent! Therefore, humility-obedience is a condition for learning-knowing-communication-prayer!
Thus, only one who is silent, does not want to speak, has nothing to say can truly listen, “has space” within themselves to contain-hear-accept! (Only Christians, temples of the Holy Spirit, true followers of the Word of God Jesus Christ, true hesychasts-silencers, who truly have nothing of their own and say nothing from themselves, only by the Holy Spirit, have something to say.)
One who wants to speak, has something to say and wants to say it, will not hear, will not listen, they are all in anticipation of their turn to speak (impatiently waiting for the microphone to be handed to them, for everyone to fall silent and attentively(!) listen to the “wisdom” that pours (more accurately, bursts) from their lips), to say their word; they do not hear, do not accept – their “hands” (head) are occupied with what they want to give-show. And according to the spiritual law – the measure you give will be the measure you receive – if you do not listen to your interlocutor, then no one will listen to you either! Why should anyone listen to you if you do not listen to them?! Therefore, if you want to be heard, first try to listen to the Other – this is a double benefit: by listening-hearing the Other, you have common ground with them, and by accepting what they give (of course not everything, but only the Good and what is for Good!), – you free up space in them for what you want to give-tell them. (If the interlocutor sees that you have understood them, they will let go of this thought and become free – able to hear you!). Therefore, the foundation and beginning of communication is silence and listening, obedience! Without them, there is no communication – only illusion! Everyone speaks, but no one hears anyone, nothing is shared, the encounter-communion does not happen. A husband and wife can live together for years, raise children… and have nothing in common, be strangers to each other! Why?! Because they do not listen to each other, do not live in obedience, do not know how to be silent!!! Start listening to each other, listen to the other, try to understand each other – and everything will change! The same is true in our relationship with God! You can go to church all your life, participate in all the rites of the Sacraments and services (be baptized, take communion even every day, confess, “pray”…) – and never have anything in common with God, be a stranger to Him (“I do not know you”). We ask, pray, beg, demand: give, give, give, grant, have mercy, forgive, preserve, save… we say so much to God in various forms – contractual, supplicatory, threatening, ultimatum, commercial… But we do not let God insert a word. Instead of falling silent and listening to God, hearing what God says to us (Who knows everything about us!); instead of changing ourselves, we want to change God: instead of learning-understanding something ourselves, we teach God what He should do, and how He should act and serve us!? But in reality, we need not beg-pray-ask-threaten-scare God (God is Love-Mercy-Wisdom-Omniscience-Truth knows and understands everything, and does everything He can for us (at every moment He pours all His LOVE, MERCY, WISDOM, GRACE on each of us – always and everywhere, in everything and through everything God loves us divinely – including the devil, Satan – absolutely everyone and everything!!!) – every moment we are in the best conditions (in the ocean of Divine Love) – God cannot do more or better for us (there is nothing to add to God’s grace! Except for evil!? But why?!)… we cannot contain more!), but to fall silent and listen to God, to listen to what God says to me (what I should do! And what God should do – He knows, He does not need to be prompted, and it is not proper to scare Him – He is Love – He does not fear, does not change!), what God asks of me, begs, pleads, scares… Yes, at all times God begs us – gives Himself to us! So fall silent (become hesychasts) and listen to what God-Love says to you. Do not be so foolish, like pagans, who want to change, appease, delight God with various sacrifices (including child murders (abortions)), prayers, incantations (rites of “sacraments”, mysteries), – God is Freedom, Personality, Love – He cannot be appeased, changed, touched, scared, begged… He can only be accepted, He can only be given oneself (by His power – the Holy Spirit)! Therefore, it is not God who needs to change (repent), but the person! In the Church, everything – all prayers, “sacrifices”, rites, Sacraments – is aimed at the person (not at God), the goal of everything is to beg, change, beseech the person, lead to repentance, make them capable of accepting God, giving themselves to God!!! Whoever has ears to hear, let them understand!