Whispering God

 

Podcasts were one of my discoveries during this last year of lockdowns etc.  Not being able to visit people or follow a lot of my usual work patterns or socialising I really enjoyed listening to a wide variety of interesting and educative programs.  It was usually time well spent and opened up to me a whole new world of information and commentary, theories and discussions that I still find fascinating.  I love a good conversation that gets into the substantive issues of the day or a well delivered presentation that really enhances my understanding of important topics.   Or even an insight into a quirky part of history or our amazingly diverse cultures that I knew absolutely nothing about.

We do live in an amazing world with so much to find out and learn and that includes the world of the Spirit and how God works in our lives.  There were many interesting podcasts I listened to covering a lot of theological and spiritual issues, and I would often take notes that would sometimes find their way into my sermons and even Thought for the Day.

However, we can have too much of a good thing and as some normal pattern of life starts returning and I am able to see real live people again I have found my brain overloaded with too much stimulus at times.   Furthermore our Sunday readings recently have partly been about abiding in God and I have felt challenged to create more silence and space in my inner life.  So I have taken my podcast apps off my phone and have committed myself to some digital silence for a couple of weeks to allow the fizz to settle, then we will see where we go.   

I have often talked about the importance of paying attention to where we are at this moment and the details of the lives of those around us.  This allows us to be fully present to them and also more open to encountering the presence of God in the day to day.  After all, where else is he going to meet us if not in our day to day which is, in reality, the only life we have.  Yet our heads and hearts can be elsewhere, in the past or the future, distracted by often good and interesting things which end up filling our bandwidth and crowding out the subtle quiet voice of God that is slightly louder than a thought.

At his lowest ebb Elijah found God not in the whirlwind, storm or fire, but in a gentle whisper.  And Elijah covered his face in a cloak and went outside. (1 Kings 19:12/13).  I am sure your life has many good things that you really benefit from.  However, like my podcasts, is there anything that you need a break from or perhaps let go of a little. What can you do to cut down the background noise so you can isolate the whisper of God?