“There is hardly ever a complete silence in our soul. God is whispering to us well-nigh incessantly. Whenever the sounds of the world die out in the soul, or sink low, then we hear these whisperings of God. He is always whispering to us, only we do not always hear, because of the noise, hurry, and distraction which life causes as it rushes on.”
– Frederick William Faber (Leaves of Gold, pg. 188)
One of the “joys” I have in my aging is the condition called tinnitus. It is a high-pitched humming that seems to always be present. The interesting thing about it, at least for now, is that the only time I really hear it is when my surroundings are quiet. When there is any other sound such as conversation, television or music, or the multitude of noises from the world, the humming is not noticeable. Let all else be quiet, and it is distinctly clear.
When I said the humming is “not noticeable,” I was being precise with my language. Reason would suggest that the humming is there all the time. I don’t hear it all the time because other sounds drown it out. This turns out to be an important observation. There are at least two reasons (and I could think of more) that one is unable to perceive a sound. Either the hearing capacity is functionally hindered (ear damage, for example), or the sound itself is lost to other competing sounds. Whichever the case, the result is the same.
At this point in Holy Week, I reflect on all Jesus had done in roughly three years of teaching and healing ministry. In doing so, it leaves me wondering how people missed the voice of God during that time. In the ministry of Jesus, God was certainly whispering—and in some ways speaking quite loudly—to His people. How did they miss the voice? On one hand we could attribute it to “functional incapacity” due to our human fallen state. Even at that, we know God’s grace reaches through the rebellion so that our hearts may hear. On the other hand we could consider the voice of God drowned out by the resisters and doubters, who certainly were not timid in their hostility toward Jesus. Whichever may have been the case, the result is the same.
It is sad to think what the people during Jesus’ day saw with their eyes, heard with their ears, and yet missed in their hearts. Would I have done any better? Most likely not. What I can say is that I don’t want to suffer the same result today. Without a doubt, God is speaking to us today—to me today. The ability to hear then becomes urgently imperative. It may necessitate learning to be a better listener. It may also require silencing the voice of the world that would love to drown the voice of the Divine. By God’s grace I will be able to honestly say, “Speak, Lord, your servant is listening.”
See you along the Winding Path.
The Winding Path 