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SCRIPTURE
READINGS
|
Acts |
4:8-12 |
| Psalm |
117 |
| I
John |
3:1-2 |
| John |
10:11-18 |
So
many voices compete for our attention. As children,
we listen for and indeed rely upon those of our
parents, if we are fortunate enough to have them,
to guide and protect and encourage us. Later on,
we hear the voices of teachers and also of friends
and we take in what they have to say, to some degree
at least. As we grow older, we follow the commands
of those in whose charge we are, especially if they
have some power over us and our livelihoods depend
upon them.
Other
powerful voices are those whom we admire or seek
to emulate whether it be people we hear on tv or
radio or whose voices reach us through writing or
poetry. Since we are inclined to copy them, their
voices can have a particular influence on us. Indeed
we can even find ourselves saying the things we
have heard them say or parroting phrases we have
heard and just using them ourselves without further
thought.
A
difficulty can then arise when it is our own true
voice and God's voice which we wish to hear. It
is easy to see how those important voices can be
pushed to one side or even drowned out because of
the very many other voices inside our heads. How
do we then begin to hear our own distinctive voice
and the call of God? It is a question worth considering.
The
vital quality in this enterprise is to give ourselves
space and time and, really, a fair amount of quiet.
When we do this we become aware at least of all
the myriad voices competing for our attention even
if they are just inside our heads. But in the quiet,
we can learn to put them to one side and to let
our own true voice – what we really think – emerge
and can then think and speak authentically. We find
that other voices and thoughts can help
us find our own but it is our own voice which is
important, that is, being able to express and articulate
what it is we think. From amongst those
we have heard comes the formulation of something
distinctive, something which we take responsibility
for and which is ours alone.
This
is the mark of our distinctive identity and the
expression of our God-given dignity so it is very
important for us to take the time to cultivate and
inform our minds and hearts in order to properly
discern our thoughts and to give voice to them.
In
doing this we come across that perennial matter
of finding out what is true. We learn that not all
we hear is truthful and we know deep within ourselves
whether something has the “ring of truth” to it.
So it comes as no surprise to learn that there is
such a dimension as truth and that it is a quality
we wish to have when we express ourselves. Truth
is something which comes from God and it is He who,
in a very real sense, underwrites our speech by
providing the ground of Truth and Meaning. A survey
of George Steiner's book, Real Presences
or any of Fr Karl Rahner's writings helps us to
understand this particular feature of God's presence
in our articulations.
God's
voice is found within the search for truth, meaning
and love in our discourses. Christ addressed these
throughout his life: he saw into the truth of people's
hearts – this was not liked – but since our lives
are lived in, hopefully, an ever-deepening communion
with him we have nothing to fear from the truth
of life, however hard it may seem to us at times.
It is Christ's voice which then speaks to us directly
through the gospels and which helps us to strengthen
our own. Our voice is given to us to speak of ourselves
to others. Let us then cultivate and deepen it so
that God may also be communicated.
Fr
James Campbell SJ
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