Reflections on The Voice of the Lord (Br David Arulanatham)

The Lord’s voice resounding on the waters,
The voice of the Lord, full of power,
The voice of the Lord, full of splendour,
The Lord’s voice shattering the cedars,
The Lord’s voice flashes flames of fire,
The Lord’s voice shakes the wilderness of Kadesh,
The Lord’s voice rending the oak tree
and stripping the forests bare,
The God of Glory thunders.
The Lord will give strength to his people,
The Lord will bless his people with peace.

Psalm 28(29)

I felt rather drawn to the ‘voice of the Lord’ as I reflected this psalm. It simply dawned to me that the voice of the Lord was not only full of power and splendour but it was a voice that was as gentle as a breeze speaking to me in his silent awe-inspiring presence. God was, is and continuing to speak to me. He is present to us in all of his magnificent creation. This insight or rather experience was very evident and overwhelming for me during my recent .thirty-day retreat. I realised that it is when I really become quiet both internally and externally within me that I am able to listen and hear the voice of God. It simply becomes an audible reality.

The voice of the Lord in its power and splendour is simply seeking us out to ‘be still’. It is only when we become quiet and still that we are able to hear, to listen to him relating to us. And these moments seem to occur in very strange, awesome and mysterious ways. Though strange and mysterious because the grace of God is at work we seem to be able to discern that it is God who is speaking to us.

I would like to share one such moment in my life. On my last day of my recent retreat I decided that I was going to do a closure by spending some time walking in the labyrinth after which I was coming out of the retreat situation. I had some wonderful reflections and thoughts but as I was just about to get out of the labyrinth a familiar tune emerged deep within me and before realising what was happening I began to sing a part of the song. I was literally amused and was laughing to myself because the song was not a spiritual song but a song from the movie, ‘My Fair Lady’. It is song that Audrey Hepburn sang, ‘Wouldn’t it be lovely’

Later, I spent some time reflecting the lyrics of the song, the movie itself and of course the state I was in at that point of time. The experiences of the retreat had left me with great affirmation and empowered feelings. It was then I became aware that the Lord was in his way telling me to be calm, and to have this strong desire to yearn for the heavenly home while desiring to live a simple comfortable life here and now. For me it was another great moment in my life. I marvelled at the experience of God, engaged in a conversation with me at a very personal and intimate way.

Today, as we pray the words of the psalmist glorifying the ‘voice of the Lord’ let us pray for the grace of God for us to be able to allocate time in our daily living to become still before the Lord, to be able to enter into this moment of quietness within us so that we will be able to hear and listen to the ‘voice of the Lord’. The ‘voice of the Lord’ in all its power and glory continues to lead us to his heavenly kingdom of love.

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me;
and I give them eternal life, and they shall not perish
and no one shall snatch them out of my hand.

John 10 :27-28

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Stay tuned for the next post by Br Joseph Zhang on 25th Aug 2010.