432. The Pastoral Art of Listening

Deuteronomy 6:4 is one of the Bible's foundational texts. "Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one." Theologically, this verse is foundational because it teaches monotheism — the existence of only one true God. Spiritually, however, the verse is foundational because it identifies a necessary practice of faith — listening. The Hebrew verb for "listen" is "shema", and it appears 1,165…