Let me hear what God the LORD will speak, for he will speak peace to his people,
to his faithful, to those who turn to him in their hearts.
– Psalms 85:8

I wish I had a dollar for every time I’ve heard someone say, “I’m willing to do what God wants me to do. I just don’t know what that is. I’ve asked God over and over again, but God isn’t answering.” For that matter, if I had a dollar for every time I said it - back in the day - I’d be significantly better off right now.

I wish that I could give a one-size-fits-all answer to the question, “How do I hear God speak?” I just don’t think there is one. I know a few people who testify of hearing God speak in an audible voice. But most folks that I know of do not. So I think, maybe, speaking of God “speaking” may be a bit of a misnomer. The thing is that human language (at least English) falls short of fully describing God and the wondrous ways that God works and interacts with us. I think we use the word “speak” when talking about God’s communication with us because that is the best word we have; it’s the closest we can get to describing how it is that information, wisdom, insight, urges, ideas, etc., that were not present are suddenly there. It is, somewhat, like when someone speaks and we hear him or her.

Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name. – John 20:30-31

… one of the most fundamental and pervasive flaws among those who identify as Christians is that many of us do not invest in getting to know Jesus well.

This week, I am using this space to invite my readers to join us, at Imani, for a ten-week study of the Gospel of John. It will be led by our own Rev. Annie Ross during our Wednesday evening Bible/book study. I am really looking forward to this study! I don’t think there is a book of the Bible that is better than John for the purpose of getting to know Jesus. I do think that one of the most fundamental and pervasive flaws among those who identify as Christians is that many of us do not invest in getting to know Jesus well. That is the only explanation I can come up with for such oxymoronic characters as “racist Christians,” “misogynistic Christians,” “homophobic Christians,” etc. These and other selective-neighbor-loving Christians may believe in Jesus and, as far as I can tell, are sincere in their belief that they are following him. But I do not think they know him very well.