Throughout history there are accounts of where God has called out to people. God spoke with Moses high up on the mountain, and to Nebuchadnezzar in a dream. God spoke to Jesus upon entering the waters of the River Jordan, and to Muhammad over many years: and to us? How does God communicate with us today?
Christianity
I recall listening to one of my teachers who explained the story within the book of Jonah. Where Jonah, determined not to follow the call of God to speak to the people of Nineveh (which means ‘the place of the fish’), found himself in a fish (? or ‘Dagon‘) for three days. The language appeared clear that there was a call from God, but the context of the story suggested that it was a satirical criticism of the Jews. Was that call from God just part of the story?
However, within the New Testament, Jesus is guided through prayer, through directions from God. This brought about miraculous events, life-changing episodes. After the Resurrection, the followers of Christ receive messages from the Spirit of God. The prayer life of those who follow God is build upon a bedrock of being in conversation with God, speaking and listening – not always in that order!
Angels
We have many instances of Angels, άγγελοι in the Greek, translated as messenger. These have visited Mary (with the Angel Gabriel) and Joseph (possibly the Angel Gabriel) before the birth, and Mary, (two angels) after the resurrection. They provide key significant moments where God has interacted in the lives of humanity. Do we all have Guardian Angels?
Islam
Muslims believe that when Muhammad was also a Messenger of God. He was selected by God to receive revelation that ultimately established the Muslim faith.
Muhammad would retreat each year to the cave of Ḥirā’, in a mountain outside of Mecca, for periods of quiet reflection. Muslims believe that one night, during the lunar month of Ramadan, he was overwhelmed by the presence of the Angel Gabriel. Gabriel commanded him repeatedly:
“Recite! In the name of your Lord who created: He created man from a clinging form. Recite! And your Lord is the Most Bountiful, who taught by the pen, who taught man what he did not know”
Quran, 96:1-5
Muslims believe that Muhammad recited this, feeling from that time on “as though the words were written on my heart” – akin to Wesley’s Aldergate experience. He ran down the mountain, hearing a voice from the sky: “Muhammad, you are the Messenger of God, and I am Gabriel.”
Hindiusm
In Hindu faith, there is the account from Srinivasa Ramanujan, a brilliant mathematician who “openly stated that he received the mathematical inspiration and sometimes whole formulas. This was through contacting the Hindu Goddess Namagiri while dreaming. Ramanujan was an observant Hindu, adept at dream interpretation and astrology. Growing up, he learned to worship Namagiri, the Hindu Goddess of creativity. “
Spiritualism and Paganism
There are also those who speak of visitations from the spiritual world, as is posited here:
Pagan followers may be eclectic, honouring a god of one tradition beside a goddess of another. [1] We may have entrusted our own ‘good fortune’ to a “lucky” Saint – is this similar? Or does God speak to us through disasters?
How does God communicate?
So how does God communicate with us today?
Could it be through miracles, or through prayer, or through sacred scriptures, or angels? If it was so prevalent in the past, does it occur so often now? If not, why not?
In Paul’s letter to the Corinthians he writes:
1 Corinthians 13:9
“Love never ends. But as for prophecies, they will come to an end; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will come to an end.”
Does God talk in mysterious ways? People say of God speaking in the silence, in natural events, in the beauty of our created world, and in the portents of its end.
Discussion
Do we hear God?
It was interesting how the different groups discussed different ways that God may speak with us. Whether it was through silence, through meditation or even on a walk. One comment was that they “heard God”:
“not a voice but as strong as a voice”
There wasn’t a definite feeling sensed at the time; whereas others felt that if the sense was located in the head, they’d need confirmation elsewhere as well.
One comment was:
“God spoke to me through squirrels”,
as, using an illustration of nature, with the scatty dance of the squirrel, told them that they needed not to follow that pace and direction in life.
This is contrary to the business guidance in society as well, contrasting with the 24/7 expectation of work. We also considered whether God speaks through suffering, and we could see this as a blessing and a burden. For Muslims, the suffering must have a purpose. However, perhaps the blessing may be seen more clearly retrospectively, as we reflect upon recent events.
It was God who was speaking!
It was evident that we should test what has been heard or discerned with sacred texts. We might look to see if it is contrary to that guidance, and also seek the wisdom of others. Some might use Scripture, Reason, Experience, and Tradition (footnote 9, for Outler’s Quadrilateral) as a test. However, this test of the conversation may only be one-way: we don’t need to concern ourselves with what we say to God.
For some, they believe that they had ‘heard’ God and would testify to that fact. It was useful to hear of a past court case where the defendant also heard of the voice of God speaking to them to commit tragic acts. How the public discern such ‘voices of God’ can be very misleading indeed.
Summary
So does God communicate with us today? It is apparent that God speaks in a variety of ways. It can be mysterious to others how this communication occurs. That communication should always be tested, reflected upon. Furthermore, we may be wise how that communication is discerned by others. Not that it is wrong, but that this is faith.
[1] Wiginton, Patti., “Working with the Gods and Goddesses” Learn Religions, https://www.learningreligions.com/working-with-the-gods-and-goddesses-2561950, last accessed 9 May 2020.
It has been rewarding to be able to share your ‘ togetherness’ and your thoughts on hearing Gods word
Myra
It’s great to hear from you!
I think that it is wonderful that we can explore such questions that we may “know the answer that we should give” – after many years of attendance at Sunday School – but we may not be sure of that response in our heart. It may be in discussion, with others including of other faiths, that we find ‘our’ answer. One person at the meeting said that they had not heard from God for some time, and I wondered whether this resonated with many today. Why is that I wonder?