I’m not hearing impaired, but that hasn’t stopped me from wondering about my hearing these last couple of years. Perhaps I’m not the only one.
I’ll admit that it took me some time to process what was amiss. For the first few months of the pandemic, I couldn’t understand why I had trouble hearing people when they spoke. I found myself physically leaning into a conversation and staring intently at someone while they were talking to me. Even so, I couldn’t quite grasp what people were saying.
Was I losing my hearing? Was I losing my mind?
Upon reflection and investigation, I found that I rely heavily on lip-reading to process information. Yes, the audible experience is crucial to my hearing someone speak. No doubt. But apparently, seeing someone physically form words is paramount to my ability to understand someone and make meaning of what they’re saying.
Alas, these last two years have found us with masks covering our mouths. No wonder I couldn’t quite grasp what people were saying.
I believe that the same is true for how I hear God’s voice.
I love to read the Bible and reflect on Holy Scripture. To be immersed in the stories of God’s people and their relationship to God, I learn more about myself and more about the God who created and sustains me. The psalms allow me to hear the prayers of a faithful, ancient people. The words of the prophets convict me and help me understand God’s sense of justice. Reflecting on the Law that God gave the Hebrews teaches me about liberation, loyalty, trust, and unconditional love.
But like trying to make sense of a conversation when our mouths are covered, my ability to process this information only goes so far. To truly be able to hear God’s Word and apply it to my life, I’ve got to be able to see someone’s mouth move. Fortunately, in Jesus, God allows us to read God’s lips.
John tells us at the beginning of his Gospel that Jesus is logos—that is, the Word of God. Jesus is the revelation, the explanation, the manifestation of God to us. Knowing Jesus—his life, ministry, and teachings—enables us to read God’s lips.
Just as he did for Peter, James, and John, God commands us to listen to His son, Jesus. To do so, we’ve got to be close enough to him to hear his message and to read his lips.