Finding the Voice of God
Peggy Noonan former speech writer for President Ronald Reagan and President George Bush said in her book Simply Speaking, “If you write speeches for other people, a business leader, a CEO, the head of an organization, or a political figure, you face a special challenge. You have to do everything you would do to write a speech for yourself, plus one more thing: you have to find the voice of the person you are writing for.” Noonan went on to say, “Everyone has a different way of speaking, different rhythms to their speech, different words they tend to use. They have their own vocabulary. They have the kind of references they use to make a point. You have to listen too, for how they think. Sometimes you can a find a person’s voice in the things they have written. Richard Nixon in his public speaking was logical, linear; he liked to tick off his points one by one as he built his case. His writers were faithful to his style, not because they had no style of their own to bring, but because they understood their job was to help Nixon be the best possible Nixon. You have to literally be close to someone to get his sound. You have to be exposed to him, sit in his office and hear him talk to you and others. Hear him answer the phone and talk about a show that was on TV last night. You have to get to the point where you hear him in your head. Ronald Reagan had a rounded way of speaking, I used to imagine him in my head as an old sailor, a wise old salt ambling down a rolling deck as the ship rolled in the sea. He never fell or had to grab the rails, he just rose with the swells as they rose and fell. George Bush on the other hand was like a man briskly walking down a city side-walk, stopping all of a sudden to greet a friend, and then plowing on, slowing briefly for a light, going forward with the crowd, turning to say hello to the man at the hot dog stand. Reagan spoke in finished sentences; Bush in burst.” In the closing words of Reagan’s speech commemorating the crew from the space shuttle, Challenger, he said, “We will never forget them nor the last time we saw them this morning as they prepared for their journey and waved good-bye and slipped the surly bonds of earth to touch the face of God.” Bush would say, “Well, I don’t want broccoli. And I’m the President and I don’t have to eat broccoli.” You can see in Reagan’s letters a fluidity that speaks of serenity. You can see in Bush’s letters a brevity that speaks of movement.”
In 1985, Charles Colson wrote a book entitled, Who Speaks for God. Mr. Colson had given his heart to Christ in the seventies, soon after the Watergate trials. This story is beautifully chronicled in his book entitled, Born Again. Being thrust to the forefront of media exposure to explain his conversion to Christ was quite a challenge. As he was brought suddenly from the secular world to a world full of religious leaders, you can hear his own heart as he like others sought for answers, but not from just anybody, he wanted to know from God. I like one of Colson’s statements from his book: “Who speaks for God? He does quite nicely for Himself. Through His holy and infallible Word – and the quiet obedience of His servants.”
In a strange way the idea of Noonan’s finding the voice of the person you are writing a speech for combined with Colson’s penetrating question, “Who speaks for God?” has touched my heart. What a unique parallel we can draw. In this world so dark, but in such a need of the light of life in Jesus Christ, we long to introduce them to a clear picture of God, what He is like, what He desires, or what He requires. I have taken these statements from Noonan’s book and pieced them together. They fit like pre-cut tile to enhance our understanding what it means to find the voice of God, please notice her words: “They have their own vocabulary. Sometimes you can a find a person’s voice in the things they have written. You have to literally be close to someone to get his sound. You have to be exposed to him, sit in his office and hear him talk to you and others. You have to get to the point where you hear him in your head.”
Please notice a natural parallel that can be drawn:
I. We Find God’s Voice in What He Has Written, The Bible
“For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe” (I Thessalonians 2:13).
II. We Find God’s Voice in Getting Close To Him, Prayer
“He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty” (Psalm 91:1).
“He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him” (Psalm 91:15).
III. We Find God’s Voice in Saturation of His Word and His Presence, Meditation
“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom…” (Colossians 3:16).
“I will meditate in thy precepts, and have respect unto thy ways. I will delight myself in thy statutes: I will not forget thy word” (Psalm 119:15, 16).
My prayer for us today is that we get to the point where God’s ways and thoughts are merged with our ways and thoughts. When the world and our brothers and sisters in Christ hear our voice, may they detect the voice of our Master. “Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus” (Acts 4:13).
- Pastor Pope -