You might never noticed but the for the most part, the Bible dispenses with the kinds of adverbs you might find in novels in which, when a character speaks a line, we may well be told that he spoke those particular words “sternly” or “laughingly” or “gravely.” But the Bible doesn’t usually include such narrative details, leaving the reader—free to imagine the acoustics of the text.
I like you to use your imagination and think about the sound of Jesus’ voice. If you google “voices” for God, you come up with hundreds of hits. Some refer to the sound of thunder and others a whisper? Do you think his voice to be mighty stern or disappointed? Does it come across as tender? Maybe, it reflects a heartbroken, trembling tone whose words have some difficult things to say.
Jesus wants to be alone with you and what he has to say is difficult. It is going to be something pretty tough to verbalize. He says he will suffer and be abused and die on a cross. Yes, a day of resurrection would come, thanks be to God, but the thing about a resurrection is that you always have to pass through death first to get there.
“I love you” is best whispered into the ear while the beloved is close enough to embrace. “I’m going to suffer and die soon” is “I love you” in God-speak and reflects what’s in his heart for each of us.
I wonder how hurtful it must have been for Jesus to take his disciples aside to tell them about his suffering only to then look up and see blank expressions on their faces. They didn’t appear to comprehend—or believe—what he was saying. I like to call this moment our “flat spot.”
“Flat spots” appear in many forms—forget our keys is an inconvenience, being late for your appointment is rude. Young tykes “flat spots” appear as carelessness for neglecting one’s chores, or punching their siblings. Young adults “flat spots” might more be about excessive drinking, driving restlessly, or failing to study. As we get older “flat spots” accumulate. We are thoughtless to open a door for someone in a wheelchair, or excuse our irritability, or fail to meet our healthy lifestyle goals, or worse emotionally abuse our loved ones because of past anger and resentments.
What are your flat spots?
We must admit that we all suffer from those “flat spots” when we failed to listen and take responsibility for decisions that result in our suffering and the suffering of others.
God prays for us as we reflect: “I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send? And who will; go for us?’ And I said. ‘Here am I. Send me’” (Isaiah 6:8).
Lord, I pray for all my Sonshine Friends whose voices bring tenderness and understanding to the suffering of others. Help us to focus our efforts to welcome your children “the little and the brittle” with great patience and surrender our “flat spots.”
