By definition, the still small voice (1 Kings 19:11-12) is quiet.  If you believe, as I do, that this voice is God speaking, it becomes the powerful moral center within our soul.  We keep the voice private, even as we have every confidence that it screams to us our truth.  But sometimes, the still small voice roars.

I prepared this reflection during the few days on either side of our 2020 Presidential election.  So when I read the Gospel lesson (Luke 18:35-43) about a blind man calling out to Jesus, I visualized a disenfranchised person calling truth to power.  This man was ‘shushed’ by those walking with Jesus, but he continued to call out.  While his effort could be viewed as a selfish request for better personal circumstances (something many struggle with when we vote!), I instinctively saw it differently.

Perhaps due to the divisiveness we’re experiencing here in the States, I suppose I just needed to believe his better angels were at work.  I saw a man calling out to be seen, pleading to be heard, tired of being ignored at the fringes of society.  He allowed his still small voice to roar God’s message.  Jesus saw.  Jesus listened.  And just as our prayers are heard and addressed, in God’s way, Jesus restored the blind man’s sight. The critical element here? When Jesus granted the man’s request, that man joined Jesus, “giving Glory to God.” He immediately used his gift to advance the teachings and blessings of Christ to others, so much so that the others likewise “gave praise to God.”

We personify the blind man when we listen to our own still small voice, then use our human voice to advance God’s work in the world.  Let’s commit together to have the courage to call out so that all might be seen and heard, giving voice to the voiceless and speaking God’s truth, always.  Amen.