Source: zengardner.com
I have a confession to make…I hear voices. I swear, I hear voices all the time. Now you tell people that you hear voices these days, and they are probably going dress you up in a very special kind of jacket, lock you up in a room with padded walls and put you on some heavy medication. Our modern world is not so accepting of people who hear voices.
And yet, when you think about it, we all have lots of voices running through our heads every day. We still hear the voice of our parents and the things that they taught us, the messages and lessons that they wanted us to have for life. We can still hear the voice of our favorite teacher or our favorite coach challenging us to be better and to try harder. Maybe we can hear the voice of a colleague, a supervisor, or even a friend, trying to give us some good advice.
The truth is: we all hear voices – some of them good, some of them not-so-good; but a few of these voices really stick with us. They help make us who we are and what we are all about. And these are just the voices inside our head! There are lots of voices outside our head that influence us as well!
There is the voice of our consumer-based world that demands that we work more so that we can spend more, and so what if working more takes us away from our family or friends or even our God? There is the voice of our peers, neighbors, and so-called friends that entice us to act on values that we know are contrary to our faith and our upbringing. There is the voice of advertising that tells us that life is all about feeling good, doing our own thing, and making us our number one priority. There is the voice of the media that tells us we should aspire to be more like Oprah or Brad or other celebrities; or better yet, that if we just do everything they do, buy everything they buy, believe everything they believe, our lives will be so much better. Let’s face it: wherever we go, we are surrounded by voices!
Then today, we hear about this heavenly voice that was heard at Jesus’ baptism. It was a voice that stood out that day in the desert. It was a voice that affirmed something that few had yet to affirm. It was the voice of a Holy Parent revealing to the world the true identity of this Holy Child: “This is my Beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased.”
Let’s think for a minute about this voice. This was the same voice that spoke creation into being. This was the same voice that spoke to Moses from the burning bush and delivered the people of Israel from slavery. This was the same voice that spoke through all the prophets. This is the voice that came alive in Jesus. If ever there was a voice that was going to stand out and get people’s attention, it would be this voice. And the earth shook that day, as Jesus’ mission on earth began with that voice.
Why the dramatics? God is reminding us that He loves us. God came down to this earth. His Son was heard, experienced, and encountered. He died that we all might live forever. His Spirit remains with us, to guide us and lead us. That’s how much God loves us.
So when we hear those voices that invite us to do what’s popular, or that invite us to forget our moral foundation, or invite us to abuse drugs, alcohol or even each other – God wants us to hear and remember His voice, reminding us of who we really are.
So who are we? By our baptisms, we are sons and daughters of God, just like Jesus. And by our baptisms we, too, have a mission, just like Jesus. But sometimes all those other voices drown out the words that God has for us. So Jesus reminds us today to listen for that same voice of God in our lives, that same voice that he heard on the day of his baptism. It’s a voice that says we are to love each other as brothers & sisters in Christ, to open the eyes of the blind, to free prisoners of their own tormented voices, and to bring those who live in darkness into the light of Christ.
God’s voice is the best voice for us to hear. It is the voice of love. It is the voice of our faith. It is the voice of our salvation. So let’s listen for his voice today and let’s get on with our mission!
