In our Gospel reading for this fifth Sunday of Lent, Jesus’ friend Lazarus heard the voice of God and was transformed from death into life. Do you hear the voice of God? because he is talking to you – right now, right here. Do you hear him? No?
The problem is not that God has stopped talking to us – rather it is that we are not really listening. So we don’t hear the Lord calling us out of our tombs. Me? In a tomb? What tomb?
Many of us have been in a tomb of destructive habits and addictions. This is not just limited to the ‘usual list’ of addictions; we can be addicted to work, to affirmation. We can be in the habit of poor lifestyle choices that affect not just our physical health, but also our spiritual health.
Then theres the tomb of negativity, of self doubt, of feelings of inadequacy, of believing that we are not good enough. I think most of us can recognize that tomb.
And there is yet another tomb (a cavern, actually) we could call the tomb of worry and anxiety. Thats a big tomb, and one I suspect we have all spent time in. When life is ambiguous, things change around us, or we are caught in difficult circumstances , and create a worry, an anxiety that is so real we can feel it in our gut, like a rock.
And for each of these tombs, a stone of fear that blocks our way out.
Do you recognize those tombs? I thought you might.
Like his friend Lazarus, Jesus is calling us out of that tomb. But we don’t hear him. He wants to transform us from darkness to light. He wants to transform us from being mediocre disciples, to being all that he created us to be. He wants to transform us from death into life. But we don’t hear him.
So, how do we get out of our tombs? We listen to the voice of God.
So, here’s a question for you …. do you really want to hear the voice of God calling you out? Yes? then you (we) need to learn how to listen to His voice in a world surrounded in noise.
Spend 15 minutes a day, every day, in Solitude, Stillness, and Silence
Do that for one month and I guarantee you will start to hear the voice of God.
Do that for one year and I guarantee you will he will call you out of the tombs where you are imprisoned in darkness and blocked by fear from escaping.
Because once you hear his voice, he will transform your life. Because what he did for his friend Lazarus, he will do for you, too.