When our oldest child learned to speak he would quizzically look around and ask, ‘Heard that sound?’ He was fascinated by sounds and curious where they came from. Children want to understand what is being said and where a sound comes from. When we learn to identify what we hear, we classify the origin and determine if it is worthy of further attention or a noise to ignore. The sense of hearing is a gift from God.
As we have wandered away from reading books and classical literature, few remember the famous line uttered by Shakespeare’s character, Macbeth. Macbeth summarized life as “It is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.” Although these words reflect great despair and nihilism, I wonder if we are a nation who epitomize this quote.
Shakespeare captured this bleak attitude of life in 1600. The same degree of melancholy has been around since creation and prospers today. As leaders, corporations, churches and individuals live by the mantra, ‘It is what it is’, we live in silos and become deaf to hearing what is being said by anyone outside our own echo chamber.
In the book of Matthew, Jesus told his disciples the ability to hear was given by GOD according to our hearts and relationship to the Creator, the God of the Old Testament and His son, Jesus…not an ultra-terrestrial or inter-dimensional being. As we submit to God’s will and way given in the Bible, listen and obey the voice of the Holy Spirit, our sense of hearing and understanding increases. As we wander from Him, our ears hear less, our hearts become unresponsive and our lives are not good and fertile soil.
Before you only hear this as Christianese, unwanted advice or simply words from an old book, evaluate YOUR willingness to listen and understand what is being said in the world today. Do you ignore white evangelical males, black females, Republicans or Democrats simple because of their sex or color and affiliation? Christ said the heart of such a person ‘has grown callous: their ears are hard of hearing and they have shut their eyes; otherwise they might see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and turn back-and I would heal them.’
WE need healing. Our nation and world needs healing. Jesus made a simple agrarian analogy. Life is either good soil from which we can grow and prosper..or it is full of rocks and weeds. There is much we hear that can choke out and obfuscate what God says. There is much to worry about at home and abroad. Deceit may come in the form of financial wealth or worries. Lies are spread by people who speak half truths or change positions from one day to the next.
Many have concluded it is best to shut out the conflicting sounds we hear. This may happen with good intentions but the practice may result in becoming deafened to THE truth. James, the brother of Jesus, did not believe in Jesus for 33 years…until he rose from the dead. James did not listen and understand what he heard from the brother who grew up in the same house with him. If James’ ears were deafened by his unbelief, we should all be put on notice.
The end of all things is near. Your job…relationships…life…maybe even what you have thought to be truth. Become like a child again. Reignite your desire to hear what is being said and by whom. Open your ears to the Holy Spirit, be healed and make sure you can say… ‘HEARD THAT SOUND!!’
So good and the older i get the clearer and less obscure the voice of God becomes!
Love ya my Brother!
Appreciate you writing these! Keep them coming!