The sheep that belong to me listen to my voice (John 10:27)
There are a number of prominent occasions when voices are mentioned in Scripture.
There is the voice of John the Baptist crying out in the wilderness.
There is the voice which speaks from heaven, saying "This is my beloved Son" on the day of Jesus baptism, and at the Transfiguration.
There is also an echo of these voices in the words of the Centurion at the Cross: "Truly this man was the Son of God"
These are all voices which either look forward to the coming of Jesus - or which proclaim his divinity.
Voices call. They grab the attention. Their words may be brief, but their message profound. They may be terse, but they are insistent. And memorable. Difficult to ignore. Easy to remember.
Today the voice is a little different. It is not from others calling us to Jesus, or telling us about him, but it is his own voice. And the words of the voice and its message come second to the effect which it has. "I know them'" he says' "and they follow me."
This is what we mean by vocation, something which is spoken to all of us not only in words, but also in a call to our lives. Hearing the voice is more than just go catching a sound, or receiving a message, but it is about making a response, and taking action.
And the voice makes the action possibly. It makes the action compelling, and it makes it necessary.
The voice of the Good Shepherd is a voice which binds, which heals and which soothes. It is a voice which unites, and which guides. It is a voice which protects, but which also challenges.
It is a voice which we hear in words, and teaching, in commandments and in prayer, but also which speaks to the heart, and enthuses us with love.
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