July 6, 2016

Blessed are the ears that hear the Divine whisper, and give no heed to the whisperings of the world.
The Imitation of Christ, Book Three, Chapter 1, Thomas A'Kempis.

One of the problems we have as humans is our seemingly constant need for newer, bigger, and better.  Advertisers are constantly trying to get our attention with flashier ads for new and improved products.  We get bored with the same ol' same ol'.  A cell phone that worked well two years ago is now beyond obsolete because it can't take pictures or download apps.  In 1979, “Escape,” the song about finding a new lover who liked pina coladas, talks about a relationship that has committed the unforgivable crime of becoming routine.  If last week we watched a man juggling swords, this week we want him to juggle chainsaws, and next week we want to see him juggle chainsaws on fire.

It seems our relationship with God suffers from the same problem.  The Israelites were freed from bondage by God, and they complained of no water.  God brought water from the rock, and they complained of no bread.  God rained down manna, and they complained of no meat.  God sent quail, and they complained yet again.  The people of the New Testament are no better as Jesus is confronted with cries of, “Do here what you did there,” and other instances that essentially equate to, “What have you done for me lately?”

How often in our lives are we driven by the desire to have the latest and greatest thing?  Or the desire to “keep up with the Jones'?”

These are the whisperings of the world.  Whisperings that say, “You deserve this,” or “You're falling behind,” or “Everyone else has one,” or “It's just a little white lie,” or “No one will know.”

Very rarely do we ever commit first-time sins on a grand scale.  We don't decide to arm ourselves and rob banks, but we might very well decide to mention something we did at work over a nice dinner and then use that for a deduction on our taxes.  More often than not we sin in small, whispering ways that take us off the path ever so slightly until, before we realize it, we're in over our heads struggling to get back on the right path.

God works in the same way.  More often than not, God doesn't hit us over the head with a holy 2x4.  More often than not, God doesn't address us with angelic hosts, visitations from archangels, or other spectacular heavenly light shows.  More often than not, God speaks to us in silence and gentle calls.  As Hymn 550 says, “Jesus calls us o'er the tumult of our life's wild, restless sea . . . saying Christian, love me more than these.”

The Divine whisper isn't concerned with flashy presentations.  The Divine whisper isn't concerned with whether or not we can keep up with the Jones'.  The Divine whisper is only concerned with reaching the heart of God's people over the din and misleading whisperings of the world.

We live in a world of sensory overload.  We live in a world of multiple messages telling us how to be new and improved.  It is through that noise and those messages where God whispers, “Follow me.”

What message are you paying attention to?

Amen.