Psychiatrists tell us that we often aren't aware of what we really
want. Perhaps they are right most of the time, but I think I really want
to know what God wants me to do. The question for me is how do we hear
the call of God?
It must have been a lot easier for Moses and for Paul than it is for most of us to know what God wants. Moses met God in the burning bush. Paul met God in the encounter on the Damascus Road. You couldn't miss either of those calls could you?
For most of us, however, there is no great zap, there is no burning bush, there is no Damascus Road experience that breaks through our daily existence and imprints itself on our souls. My guess is that the number of us who have had this explosive type of encounter with God is quite few and that most of us have a very different experience of God.
Most of us don't encounter God in a dramatic way but through a still, small voice that is not obvious and that can easily be missed in the busy-ness of the day. This image of God's call comes from God's encounter with Elijah. God came to Elijah not in the wind or the earthquake or the fire but in a still, small voice that could easily have been overlooked.
That means that we have to listen carefully to hear the voice of God. Most of us, our Biblical heroes included, hear God's call in the daily activities and encounters we have -- if we are open and listen.
God came quietly to Samuel while Samuel was resting. Andrew and Peter were busy fishing when Jesus invited them to join His ministry. Levi was busy at his government job when Jesus called him to a new career. Mary was in the garden in grief when Jesus walked up and touched her. And the disciples on the Emmaus Road were walking back home from Jerusalem when Jesus joined them for the last few miles and changed their despair into excitement.
In each of these cases, God encountered the person in the middle of everyday activities. It would have been easy to miss the call. Samuel could have thought it was a weird dream. Andrew and Peter could have been caught up in their moneymaking activities. Levi could have gone back to collecting taxes. Mary could have been so caught in her grief that she didn't hear the voice. And the Emmaus Road disciples could have thanked the stranger who had pined them and sent Him on His way in the evening.
Personally, I have never had one of those radical encounters with God. There have been times when I have felt that God was directing me to move or to accept something new for His service, but it has never been a noisy call. Mostly, it has been a quiet nudging that has made me wonder what God had in mind.
And that is where we can help each other. By sharing with each other and by telling our stories of how God has acted in our own lives, we help each other to hear God's call. Many around me have encouraged me to try new things, things I would never have otherwise risked. They have stretched me and pushed me and provided me with correction when I needed it. For me -- and for many others, I believe -- this is how we hear the still, small voice of God that leads to a life of service.
Benjamin Davis is the new dean at Potomac Graduate School in Washington DC. He lives in Columbia MD.