“In the beginning,” scripture tells us, it was the voice of God that spoke creation into being, that brought order out of chaos. Can you hear the voice of God speaking to you in the dawn of each new day, in the twilight of evening as darkness approaches? The voice of God is here calling us into relationship when we have ears to hear.

The psalmist recognized the voice of God thundering in creation, but the prophet Elijah couldn’t hear the voice of God in the wind, the earthquake, the fire outside his cave. Only after those powerful distractions passed by, did he recognize the voice of God in “a sound of sheer silence.” (I Kgs.19:11-13) There is no end to the ways we may hear the voice of God calling our name, urging us to pay attention to the world around us. As we open our ears to hear, taking time to listen, we can become more aware of what the voice of God has to say to us in all its many guises.

At Jesus’ baptism in the Jordan, Mark tells us, he heard the voice of God saying, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.” Believe it or not, God has that very same message for each of us. We are God’s precious children, loved as we are, where we are. Nothing can separate us from the divine love that enfolds us, indwells us, yearns for us to share that love with all others as Jesus did. Can you hear it?

“O that today [we] would harken to his voice!” (Ps.95:7)