Is Anybody Listening?

Life on the Pasture

My Mom used to say that even when I was very young, the best punishment I could be given was to take away my radio. I have always loved listening more than viewing. At about the age of 14, my radio listening expanded into the shortwave spectrum and the world of international broadcasters. I would stay up late at night tuning in to easily heard stations such as Radio Australia, the BBC, and HCJB, a missionary station Quito, Ecuador. But there was also the challenge of trying to tune in less powerful stations not so easily heard and often drowned out by the others, and the excitement of hearing a unique voice.

The Lutheran Hour is a radio program produced by the Lutheran Layman's League that has been on the air for 90 years. Yesterday's broadcast included an interview with Rev. Dr. John Nunes, President of Concordia College, Bronxville, NY. Dr. Nunes shared the story of an Ethiopian pastor named Gudina Tumsa: "The Marxist government told the church that it must preach the tenets and the teachings of Marxism. And Tumsa, as the leader of that church body, refused to do so. And he was arrested because of that. And they tortured him. They released him and he went back to his pastors in his church body, and he said, 'If the government prohibits us from proclaiming the Gospel, we have an obligation to proclaim it twice as much.' So they arrested him again and tortured him again. And this time he died. But the faith that he believed, taught, and confessed, grew and grew, and that church continued to explode in its growth. When people see people making sacrifices, like the sacrifice that Tumsa made, they ask themselves, 'There must be something about this belief in Jesus that is really real that would lead someone to give his or her life for the faith.' I wish we could capture some of that in North America.'"

Amen to that! The world has been hearing a lot of political rhetoric from the United States, often employing the "politics of destruction" genre. But the political voices are not the only voices to be heard. The Church has a precious message to broadcast to all nations centering on the only One who is truly a Savior, beholden to no political party's platform or special interest money.  

And though all the other voices may seem to overpower the voice of the Church, the world is listening for something unique and truly life-changing. It's almost like a radio junkie searching for a weak station that he or she never heard before but, when found, brings great joy. The voice of the Church brings lasting joy that will not result from an election, but from a loving Lord who invites us to hear His voice and walk with Him through this life and for all eternity.   

Spirit of love, within us move: Spirit of truth, in pow’r come down! So shall they hear and find and prove Christ is their life, their joy, their crown. (Lutheran Service Book #831, v. 5)

– Pastor Schmidt