Five years ago a Welchman named Howard Stapleton was getting irritated at the loitering going on in front of the local grocery store. Young teenagers would hang around and harass customers as they went in and out of the store. So Howard built a device that would keep the pesky teens away. It was a box that emitted an irritating sound that only young ears could hear. It was a loud tone, of a certain frequency, that adults, because of the natural deterioration of the human ear, can’t pick up. The device had immediate results – and sent kids scurrying like roaches at sunrise. While some youth advocates protested, Howard’s invention wasn’t banned and continues to be marketed as a way to keep annoying teens from congregating.

However, Howard did not have the last laugh. Some enterprising teens decided to turn the tables – and use Howard’s special frequency as a ring tone on cell phones – which means that only kids can hear it ring in class, not teachers – so the talking and texting can go on behind the backs of older authorities and the teens get the last laugh.

In Sunday’s Gospel we hear about something similar when Jesus talks about a voice that’s heard by some and not by others. In a standoff with the corrupt religious power brokers of his day, they ask Him, ‘tell us plainly – are you the Messiah?’ Jesus says that he’s told them – and they haven’t heard. He’s used words and He’s used deeds, but still, they just haven’t heard. Jesus says only his sheep hear his voice – and the reason they hear it is because they follow Him.

We Christians like to think that we’re those sheep – as if we do such a great job hearing and heeding Jesus’ voice. But like the critics of Jesus’ day, and the adults who strain to hear high frequencies, we have to admit that we, too, have a hard time hearing His voice. We plead for healing and get no answer, we ask for guidance and we leave puzzled and depressed when it doesn't come, and we ask for a sign – any sign – then throw our arms up in frustration because we just can't see it.

Then we note that Jesus makes this link between hearing and following – and it makes us pause to think about the depth of our own endeavor to follow: like the image above, if we draw closer to the voice, might we be able to improve our hearing? For we remember that following Jesus means putting aside our own road maps and our own personal priorities. It means allowing Him to take the reigns - and for us to grow in prayer and devotion and self-offering and drawing closer in the ways we know how, but may allowed to drift aside. For we understand quite naturally that if someone is speaking to us the only way to hear them better is to draw closer. What can we do in the week ahead to move closer to that voice?


Reading
The Five Most Important Questions – Peter Drucker
The Faith of the Future – Harvey Cox
Thieves in the Temple – G. Jeffrey MacDonald