The Still, Small Voice
In the Hebrew scriptures we are told that the prophet Elijah went to the mountains to seek God’s direction. He waited in a cave, and in time there came a mighty wind, powerful enough to sunder the rocks. But the prophet knew that was not the voice of God.
Then came an earthquake, shaking the mountains to their roots. But that was not the voice of God.
Next came a fire blazing across the landscape, but even that was not the voice of God.
When the mighty wind, the fire, and the earthquake, had subsided, silence settled over the mountains. In the silence, the prophet waited quietly and patiently, and only then did he hear a still, small voice. And that was the voice of God.
No matter our faith, or lack thereof, there is a lesson for each of us. No matter our God, or lack thereof, there is a voice to which we must listen. Greater than ourselves, yet still, and small.
In our world and our culture the messages trying to influence us are loud, pushy, unsubtle, persistent, and demanding. They blare at us from billboards and Netflix and music and social media. They fill us with dissatisfaction, unfulfillment, outrage, and envy. They tell us that we must do this, or that, buy this, or that, follow this, or that, oppose this, or that, and only then will we find purpose and satisfaction. But those things are only wind, and earthquake, and fire.
What we really need to hear is the still, small voice. Our own unique and special still, small voice.
In order to hear it, we must let the wind pass. Then we must let the earthquake pass. And then we must let the fire pass. And then we must wait in stillness.
And only then we will hear what we really need to hear.