A startling discovery has been made. If a tree falls in the woods and no one hears it, it still does make a noise.  With this startling piece of knowledge we now know that just because we aren’t there doesn’t mean we can ignore something.

I have been in churches for a long time, and for about half that time a Christian ( or at least I bowed the title). In that time I have observed different congergations and people.  Though usually they weren’t that different.  The practices were usually the same.  Sometimes I would honestly have to double check that I was in a different location. Most of them were really well intentioned in following Christ, yet it was hard to see how they were actually doing stuff.  The got lost in modern religious practices and got really good at those.  These churches wer made up of four walls and not much else.

Now lets contrast these churches with something I’ve gotten into more the last few years, the bible.  I am by no means an expert on this book.  At this point in my life I may still be able to quote more of ‘The Princess Bride’, than I am the bible. Inocncievable you say but alas its true.  The bible is God’s story, both of him self and to us.  It is an amazing mastery of well the story.  And everything in it is active.  There is a reason why it is called the living word. 

So we have the church which is God’s active presence in the world (though like I said earlier not so much), and the Bible which is the living word of God.  Essentially something that is alive, and something that is dead. So what does this have to do with trees making noise?

Well everything see the reason there is such a contrast between the church and the bible is because the church has forgotten that trees make noise.  Or in a less metaphical way to say this we forgot how to hear Christs heart breaking.  In Mark (the gospel of) the word listen was used twice in reference to how we should interact with Jesus.

Listen.

Instead we talk. We sing. We make joyful noise. We teach. We preach. And occasionally we dance.  But rarely do we listen.  I don’t even think we remember what we were supposed to be listening for, let alone who to.  Busy people are horrible at listening, just ask their children.

Listening isn’t just a word that refers to hearing, but it also means to obey.  So what we need to listen for will show us how to act.  So what do we hear?  Do we hear Jesus as he healed the infermed? Do we hear Jesus as he sat with those the world didn’t care about? Do we hear Jesus as he played with kids? Do we hear him as he went out of the way for his friends, for stangers, for enemies? Do we hear him when he feed the hungery? Do we hear him as he free’s the oppressed? Do we hear him when he cries out it is finished?

Do we hear him?

If you do, then look outside at the world.  And tell me

Do you hear the trees falling?