Many are searching for answers and guidance, myself included. We want to learn from recent history. We want to understand the present. We want to move intelligently into the future. The quest is taking us back to the words and writings of others. It is forcing us into conversations that are long overdue. It is even encouraging higher levels of self-awareness and examination. We want to believe that we can learn. We need to hold onto the idea that there is a brighter future ahead of us. We think that by learning and improving our insights, we seize the opportunities that will come.
I think the quest to learn and grow is long overdue. I may only recognize the gaps within, yet I do not think I am alone. The comfort and assurance we have rested on is gone. The foundations we used to support our confidence are crumbling into nothingness. Even the assurances given by those we trusted seem to be fading into distant echoes.
As we look for guidance, I would like to recommend an available source I often overlook. Look at the ordinary. Examine the ordinary events of your life and community. Look to mundane flow of the day for insights. Let the ordinary be a voice of reflection, insight, and guidance. I find that it is here that Truth speaks the loudest. There are universal truths actively moving in and through the events of our lives – even in extreme (terrible, horrifying) circumstances. If my reactions are any indication, we are so caught up in the chaos of living that we often ignore Truth's voice and movement.
The warning remains. “Don't take this lightly. You don't want the prophet's sermon to describe you: Watch out, cynics; Look hard—watch your world fall to pieces. I'm [God is] doing something right before your eyes that you won't believe, though it's staring you in the face.” (Acts 13.40, 41)
Truth is always present. Our highest calling is to be open, ready, and willing to see, hear, and feel Truth at work. The Voice is here.
