There is no way to measure the power of one voice.  A voice might be soft and subtle.  It might be loud and strong.  Either way, it can have the power to emit emotion, draw our attention, and affect change.  Yet, a solo voice needs other harmonizing voices to give volume, depth, and richness.

Let’s do a little experiment.  Listen to the singular middle “C” on the piano and let’s have everyone sing that note.  Ok, now, let split into four parts – each section singing a different note.  Now let’s sing the chord together. Isn’t that beautiful! 

Now, to be sure, everyone singing the basic “C” was very beautiful, but wasn’t it much more interesting when we added harmony?  The singular voice didn’t have to carry the entire load.  When all were singing “with one voice” (in harmony) there was semblance of camaraderie and confidence.    

This past week, I lost my voice.  It was frustrating attempting to communicate with others, straining with all my might to emit a sound.  Forcing myself to not sing during Holden Evening Prayer on Wednesday evening was not easy.

One thing I did notice was by being silent, I listened more, I read more, I noticed more – and I had to rely on others to commuicate.  The bad cold certainly wasn’t a gift, but the silence proved to be enlightening.  Listen to the writer of Ecclesiastes, “For everything there is season, and a time for every matter under heaven…a time to keep silence and a time to speak.”

Recall the story when John the Baptist’s birth was foretold.  His father, Zechariah, after encountering the angel Gabriel, and doubting the possibility of Elizabeth bearing a child, was silenced.

I guess God thought – in Zechariah’s  case – that silence was golden – at least for awhile.  

It’s interesting that the son born to Elizabeth and Zechariah developed such an influential voice.  John the Baptist was the voice of one crying in the wilderness.  Seemingly, his was a lone voice, a soloist.  Yet, it was a voice that made a difference.  Sometimes a singular voice one can ignite change.  But, the difference of more than one can change the world.

Some theologians believe that John the Baptist may have been a part of a sect commonly referred to as nazirites.  They were people who made certain vows in regard to diet, dress, and lifestyle.  Although the vow of the nazirite was made for personal reasons, the presence of the nazirite in the community was a sign of God’s presence, like the clerical collar, the nun’s habit, or the monk’s robe.  Seeing someone dressed like this, people were reminded that God was present in the midst of everyday life.  It was a familiar presence that people could turn towards and rely upon.  

It was the voice of one crying in the wilderness bearing a sign of God’s presence.  The “voice of one” was akin to a town crier – “Hear ye!  Hear ye!  Repent, for the kingdom of God is near!”

It’s no wonder that people flocked to John the Baptist.  There were many in that day who were lost, who were desperate, who needed the assurance of God’s love, who desired repentance.  Yet, there were others (Pharisees and Sadducees) who seemed to come out of curiosity or just to go through the motions of religious practice.  John called them a brood of vipers.  OUCH!  That must have hurt. 

It seemed the religious leaders came for the novelty – and maybe a locust and honey hotdish!

Others attending wanted to be washed in the cleansing waters of baptism, to be renewed, and to be given a new lease on life. John was very symbolic of the presence of God in their midst.  In their wilderness wanderings he was a beacon of hope, a familiar sign that God could embrace them – even in their desperation. 

Many of those who came to him had been rendered voiceless in society.  They looked to someone who could speak on their behalf and be the reassuring sound of God’s presence.

And so, it was John’s time to speak – and to point – that is, to point to one who would come after him with such power as to cleanse the chaff of society with a love of unquenchable fire. 

Do you ever wonder, “When is it my time to speak?  When is it my time to point to Jesus?”  When is it my time to be faithful to my calling as a follower of Jesus?

I suppose you could answer, “All the time!” And you would be right.  The time to witness to Jesus is all the time.  But, what if your voice was blended with others in that witness?  

A few years ago, flash mobs were popular.  I recall an organization called Random Acts of Culture, who partnered with the Philadelphia Orchestra and choruses from around Philadelphia and performed Handel’s Messiah at a large mall.  The human voices as well as the instrumental voices blended in such a powerful witness that it made heads turn, arms raise, smiles flash, and voices exalt in joy.  Indeed, this blend of voices was a sure sound of God’s presence in an environment steeped in the distractions of a materialistic culture.  For several moments, the sound of voices singing, “For the lord God omnipotent reigneth “Alleluia!” overwhelmed the sound of cash registers and the rush of hurried shoppers anxious to complete their Christmas shopping.

In Paul’s letter to the Romans he writes, “May the God of steadfastness and encouragement grant you to live in harmony with one another; in accordance with Christ Jesus, so that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

To be sure, those shoppers that day heard one voice that glorified God.  But, interestingly it was a harmonic voice.  The phrase Paul used – “so that together you may with one voice glorify God,” strikes me as the perfect expression of what it means to call attention to the one who is worthy of worship – our Lord Jesus Christ – with voices together.  Notice that Paul calls for the people to live in harmony as a means to make their voice be heard, as a means to glorify God. 

That doesn’t mean that we all sing the same note in our Christian walk.  We must acknowledge that harmony doesn’t mean everyone sings with the same voice, but with one voice.  That is, harmonization honors the vocal qualities and ranges of individuals, but blends them into a sound that is rich, interesting, delightful, and powerful.

So, here we are – a blend of voices witnessing and advocating for Jesus – the one whom John claimed would baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire – the one who would turn the world upside down in remarkable ways – calling together the wolf and the lamb, the calf and the lion, the cow and the bear, the child and the serpent – calling them together so as to be one voice in witness to God’s glorious indwelling – an indwelling that would not arrive via trumpets, fanfare, and parades, would not arrive by some lucky inheritance, would not arrive by a conquering army, but would arrive as a small shoot from a seemingly dead stump, would arrive in a humble feed trough, and would finally arrive from a cold and dark tomb – where a bevy of voices proclaimed, “He is risen.  He is risen, indeed!”

AMEN