To Whom Are You Listening

Mark 9:2-9

Each year, the publisher of the Merriam-Webster Dictionary choses a word which is designated as the Word of the Year”. It’s a word which, according to the publisher, is among the top searched and used words, and which also reshapes the language we use daily”. The word chosen for the year 2020, not surprisingly, is Pandemic. According to the publisher, “it has dominated every corner of the world.

I don’t know if Merriman-Webster or any other source designates a phrase as the “phrase of the year”, but if I were to choose one, my phrase of the year would be “conspiracy theory”, I would chose it for the same reasons the publisher of the Merriman-Webster Dictionary choses their “Word of the Year” – it has been very frequently and widely used, and it has reshaped the language that we use daily. Hardly a day went by over the last year and so far into this year, that we have not heard that phrase used repeatedly. Conspiracy theories have been evoked in relation to politics, the pandemic, climate change, natural disasters, religion and just about everything that affect our lives. And unfortunately, there have been many instances where adherence to some of those theories has led to heightened conflict and great harm.

Conspiracy theories are not new, they have been around, it would seem, forever, and they have been largely dismissed by right thinking people. Why is it then that such theories seem to be having a greater hold on people these days? One reason is because of the ease with which they are shared, thanks to the internet, but the far more significant reason has to do with people in positions of influence who give legitimacy to those theories. People to whom others tend to listen, and on whose words we are inclined to act.

What we hear matters, our perception of life, of people, of reality, is shaped in large part by what we hear and internalize. But of greater significance than what we hear, are the people to whom we chose to listen.

We live in a time when, more than ever before, we are bombarded by competing, conflicting and often confusing voices, including our own inner voices; all vying for our attention and allegiance. It is therefore critical that we be very mindful, not only of what we hear, but to whom we listen – those on whose words we are inclined to act.

In the story of the transfiguration, read for us by Tina, Peter, James and John found themselves witnesses to a spectacular display of Christ’s glory. “His clothes became dazzling white, such as no one on earth could bleach them. 4And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, who were talking with Jesus.” (Mark 9: 3, 4)

In his awe struck excitement, Peter blurted out:  “Lord, it is good for us to be here, let us build three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” (Mark 9: 5)

Imagine yourself sharing in a similarly beautiful and amazing moment; won’t you want to hold on to it?  Many of us spend the greater part of our lives in the realm of the ordinary, the mundane, the commonplace, the routine; and in those often too rare moments when we are swept up by something spectacular, we want to prolong it for as long as possible. So it was with Peter. He wanted to remain in that good place - in that special moment.

But then God spoke. “A cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud there came a voice, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him!” (Mark 9: 7)

In the midst of the excitement, they were told to listen. Don’t get carried away by the moment - listen.

It is easy to get carried away when it feels like we are on top of the world. When we find ourselves in a good place in life, it’s tempting to think that we have arrived; but that’s the time we need to listen even more.

When we stand in the glow of success, we sometimes forget how we got there and fail to grasp what it really means to be there. We can stop listening. And when we stop listening, we close the door to understanding. We often fail to understand the pain of those who continue to struggle in the shadows.

On several occasions, Peter would have heard Jesus speak about his mission and ministry.

-        He would have heard Jesus say that he had come to seek and save the lost.

-        That he had come to call sinners to repentance.

-        That he was anointed to bring good news to the poor, to proclaim release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind. To let the oppressed go free.

But in spite of all that Peter would have heard Jesus say about himself, yet he said to Jesus: “It is good for us to be here, let us build three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” (Mark 9: 5)

The problem that Peter had was that he was listening to himself and his own desires, rather than to Jesus. He wanted to build a dwelling high up on the mountain; away from everything and everyone, removed from the people; their sufferings and needs. He completely missed the point of what was happening; he missed the point of what the mission of Jesus was about. Hence the voice from heaven said to him: ‘This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him!”

How often do we not miss the point of what is happening - in our lives and in the lives of those with whom we share relationships? How often do we not miss the point of what’s going on in our world? How often have we not missed what God is saying, simply because we are not listening?

We need to listen to each other, to listen to ourselves and the messages we really are communicating, but most importantly, we need to listen to God.

When we learn to listen to God, we learn to listen to one another differently – we learn to listen with compassion, with empathy, with an ear for justice and right relations.

I guess the question is: how do we recognize the voice of God in the midst of all the chatter?

For one thing, the voice of God is always a voice for what is good and right, not only for some but for all. If what we are hearing is that which challenges us and leads us to do what is good and right for everyone, then it most likely is the voice of God.

The voice of God is also a voice that offers hope and encouragement, especially in our darkest moments. Life is not always easy, life is often not fair, and it certainly is not predictable – bad things so often happen to good people. Setbacks, disappointments and pain are a part of life’s journey.
In the midst of it all, the voice of God is that voice that makes us know that we are valued and loved, and that there is hope.

Also, the voice of God is that voice that calls us to look beyond ourselves to the needs of others. It is that voice that calls us unto love and service, to show care and compassion; that prompts us to reach out to others with kindness, to be a comforting presence, to stand alongside our fellow men and women.

And, as Peter came to realize, sometimes the voice of God is that voice that steers us away from where we would like to be and to settle – our places of comfort, and calls us to the places we need to be - often places of discomfort.

In a world where everyone has an opinion on everything, where there are so many points of view, we need to listen to God.

When life surprises us or satisfies us, fulfills or frustrates us; let us stop and ask: “what is God saying to me in all of this? Because there’s a message from God somewhere in there.

Let us not just focus on ourselves and fortifying our own space, let us learn to listen to others and to God. God speaks, and if we listen to the stories of others, the stories of struggle and pain, brokenness and healing, joy and hope; we might be surprised at just what God is saying to us.

Thanks be to God.