Can You Hear Me Now?

A few years ago the Verizon company ran a series of television commercials that featured this question: "Can you hear me now?" In each of the commercials the focus of attention was on the clarity with which the people were able to hear each other via cell phones. Now, those commercials implied two principles: one, someone was doing the talking, and two, someone else was doing the listening. In order for communication to become valid, listening is as important as is the talking.

Our politicians in Washington these days feign to be listening, but in reality they only hear what they want to hear. We had a tremendous example during August when hundreds of grass-roots "tea parties" were held. There voices were raised primarily in opposition to a proposed government take-over of our health care. At times shouting was heard. And, unfortunately, at times rudeness became commonplace. Were our political leaders really listening? Or, did they want to do all the talking? Or, was their listening through the sieve of their own biases? To hear what is happening behind closed doors in hallways and closets of power in Washington today, one could state that, even through the shouting, they did not hear us. Perhaps they needed Verizon cell phones.

I don't know about you, but I find this very disturbing. It is almost as if our leaders look down upon us and think, "Well, what do you know?" Being a Senator, Representative, Governor, or President does not automatically give a person the right to believe he or she is above another. It seems that we have forgotten that our country was founded upon the principle of "the consent of the governed." Today, it is more like "the consent of the government." Our Founding Fathers would roll over in their graves if they witnessed our nation's leaders today. "Can they hear us now?" "No, and they do not want to hear us."

As you know I spend time doing research on what God is doing in the world today especially as it relates to the end times. Over the course of the past months we have talked about several of the findings through this blog. I believe that God is shouting to us, "Can you hear Me now?" Yet we pay no attention to what God is saying. We are quick to explain God's work with human efforts. Earthquakes in unusual locations; tsunamis that wreck incredible damage; early snowfalls in many parts of our nation's heartland...caused by too much carbon in the atmosphere. Are we listening for what God is saying? No! Rush toward a centralizing of currencies; a treaty to be signed that will in effect deny our First Amendment rights of free speech; and a hate-crimes bill that threatens to stifle any teaching of biblical truth about sexual perversity...all done for the sake of advancing the cause of humanity. Hey, are we listening for what God is saying through these and knowing what the Bible is stating so clearly? No!

Sadly I know of many Christians who just do not want to know what God is screaming these days. They are content to continue in their apathetic state: don't rock my boat! At times I can almost hear God screaming: "Church, wake up! There is not much time left! Take notice of what I said I would do and of what I am doing! Can you hear Me now?"

Yes, God, I can hear You. I am glad that You dare to speak, yes, even to scream today. Help me to show others how they, too, can be listening.