Let Your Life Speak by Parker J. Palmer
“Vocation does not mean a goal that I pursue. It means a calling that I hear. Before I can tell my life what I want to do with it, I must listen to my life telling me who I am.”
In Christian circles, we spent a lot of time talking about our “calling.”
“God called me to _________.”
“I feel called to __________.”
“__________ is my calling.”
In seminary circles, we interchange the word “calling” with “vocation,” which is rooted in the Latin word for “voice.” In his book, Let Your Life Speak, academic sociologist-turned-Quaker teacher Parker Palmer uses his meandering career as an example that vocation does not generally happen in a moment of divine inspiration. Rather, the winding paths of life eventually take us to where we need to be if we are willing to listen to our lives.
What does it mean to listen to your life?
Palmer describes the soul as
a wild animal - tough, resilient, savvy, self-sufficient, and yet exceedingly shy. If we want to see a wild animal, the last thing we should do is to go crashing through the woods, shouting for the creature to come out. But if we are willing to walk quietly into the woods and sit silently for an hour or two at the base of a tree, the creature we are waiting for may well emerge.
In other words, your calling will speak its truth only under quiet, inviting conditions. You can’t force it. You can’t cross-examine or analyze it. No amount of finagling will cause your calling to make itself clear until you are willing to listen to what your life has been telling you about the person that you are.
Vocation does not come from a voice “out there” calling me to become something I am not. It comes from a voice “in here” calling me to be the person I was born to be, to fulfill the original selfhood given me at birth by God.
I know that we Western Protestants tend to freak out when we discuss “going inward” into ourselves. We label it as “New Age” and secularism.
I disagree. I think Protestantism has neglected the inner spiritual journey that is necessary for us to discover who God has made us to be. None of us will have the same path, which is why you can’t rely on others telling you what or who you should become.
God has given you a unique set of abilities, life experiences, and personality. No one else’s life looks exactly like yours.
That said, the Christian life is not meant to be lived individually. Discernment happens best within a trusting community. If you are struggling with discerning your life’s path, be sure to talk to trusted friends who can listen to you and speak truth to you on your journey.
I could quote Palmer all day long, but I will restrain myself to one more:
Vocation at its deepest level is, “This is something I can’t not do, for reasons I’m unable to explain to anyone else and don’t fully understand myself but that are nonetheless compelling.”
What is the thing that you can’t not do?
That’s your vocation. You might be terrified of it or scoff at it as impossible. Believe me, the journey your life takes will look nothing like you imagined if you are willing to listen to your life and be courageous.
God made you to be you. So go be you.
In courage and in love,
Katelyn
If this discussion intrigues you, please read the entire book! More book reviews are on Goodreads.
