A Reading of Hope

Excerpt from “Listening to the Voice of Hope”
By Rev. Juvenal Cervantes
Isaiah 11:1-10

Read by Harriett Meeker
November 27,2022
St. John’s United Church of Christ, Greeley, Colorado

Can a dominant voice actually influence us? Do voices that speak louder than others overpower the “small, still voices” of the world? The words of Isaiah the prophet were not popular, thus very few people took him seriously. That’s because Isaiah proclaimed hope in the midst of despair.

Have you ever considered how much trivia, inconsequential chat and minutia you listen to in a single day? The coffee shop conversations, the gossip, the rumors, the advertisements, or the small talk in the work place? Most of it is similar to what you might experience in a chat room. Chat rooms are the place on the internet that allow you to communicate with people electronically. There is very little truth and almost nothing you can use that will enhance the quality of your life.

The voice of Isaiah was such a voice. He spoke to a people who had little hope. They were desperate. They had no homeland and few resources. They were not unified. They lacked leadership and they were afraid.

To them he promised that peace and harmony were possible. He proclaimed that God would send them a leader who would guide them through their hard times. But it was difficult for anyone to listen to Isaiah because his message was radically different.

We live in an age of selective listening. Just like we flip through the channels on television we flip through the voices we want to hear. Unfortunately, it is the ones who are the loudest and dominant that get our attention. And they are sound bites that raise our level of fear, focusing on our anxious self-concern.

Years ago there was a radio program called “The War of The Worlds”, that almost panicked the nation. A radio jockey played a tape about a fictitious war and thousands took it seriously. They believed it was actually happening.

The voice of God is not a voice of panic. God’s voice is a voice of hope, but also reality. Isaiah gives us a picture of a society that is at peace. “The wolf dwells with the lamb” and “the cow and the bear shall feed together.” At times we’ve seen pictures of wild animals that normally prey on each other and these coexist peacefully. I read an article of grandmother and daughter horseback riding in the Smoky Mountains. While riding in the mountains they came across a bear. The bear was minding his own business and did not interfere with the horses. They were so used to each other that they had learned to co-exist.

We can still have “wild” animals among us but live in harmony. God does not describe for us a kingdom that is without danger and struggle. Rather, God describes a kingdom where hope (and love) are present. And the voices that express hope are the ones God wants us to hear.

When Isaiah speaks of a voice that is knowledgeable of God he is not talking about an intellectual knowledge but knowledge based on fellowship with God. In other words, one who speaks in “the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord” is one who is reverent to God and faithful.

Who then do we listen to? Who in our world today has a message that can be trusted? Who are the other voices?

First, there is the voice of Isaiah. Although he spoke thousands of years ago, his message is still one we can turn to. Isaiah had no hidden agenda, no ulterior motive except to give the people of his day, and for all antiquity, a message of hope.

Secondly, there are the voices of the faithful today. Unlike the dominant voices that evoke fear and panic in the hearts of people they are the voices of comfort and assurance, “knowledgeable” and in fellowship with God.

When people are sincerely listening to one another there is harmony in society. When everyone is being heard the wolf can dwell with the lamb and the cow and the bear can eat together. Giving one another hope and assurance is what makes a life of peace.

Finally, there is the coming voice, the voice of the Christ, whose arrival we celebrate this Advent season. He is Emmanuel, God with us. “As it is written in Isaiah the prophet, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, who shall prepare the way; the voice of one crying in the wilderness.” (Mark l:1-2) The voice of Jesus is a wilderness voice. Not a media-powered voice proudly transmitting on major networks, but an alternative voice, the “other” voice.

The message of Jesus gives us hope when all else fails. It is the love of Jesus that keeps the spirit of God alive in our midst. And it is the community of faith who can be the “other” voice in the world. God wants us to “listen” to the voice of the prophets, like Isaiah. God wants us to listen to those around us who are hurting. And God wants to assure us that when nobody is listening, God is there with open ears.