the sound of my voice

A friend has been organising compline prayer via zoom on Sunday evenings during this odd pandemic season where we aren’t getting out much. It’s just 20 minutes of responsive readings and a short meditation—a poem or short reading. Just 10 of us speaking truths into the computer camera, united in our isolation. Proclaiming unity by sharing truth. It’s been a  place of solace for Wayne and I. A place where we have no responsibility. A place we are free to receive. 

But after a few weeks we said yes we will participate a little deeper, Do one of the readings, or two. And we read, precious words, truth to sustain us in difficult times and to encourage our hearts. 

Afterwards a message comes from my friend. ‘Why did i well-up so much when I heard each of you two Platts reading the bible aloud last night?’

Yes, why? Well because we had been in a group together a few years back. A group that read the bible together. In that same wider group of friends we also had a season of recording bible readings—our own audio bible reading plan—cooked up at a new years day discussion around our table. I think we called it ‘read the bible to me.’ It was a group that loved each other. 

And last week a friend tweeted that she had been recording for the new her.Bible. An audio Bible with women’s voices. I got very excited. I even said to one group of colleagues that maybe I was too excited about this. Why? one man asked. Because my experience with audio bibles has been like a call back to listening to the radio as a child. Doesn’t anyone else think these recordings sound like American radio presenters? Or some people swear by the David Suchet NIV recordings. But hey I’m a mystery fan—so Suchet will always be Inspector Pirot to me. That doesn’t exactly mesh with the Psalms or even I Peter. So I was very excited. My colleague said he would check it out. Why? Because his mother used to read him the bible out loud.  Oh, that a memory of a mothers voice would draw us to holy reading….

So I get the app going, I listen to one of the gospels. It’s good, I’m happy. But then I finally listen to Ecclesiastes. Is that my friend’s voice? Yes, it is. She’s not my friend down the road, she’s not a friend from church or work or school. She’s an author I met on a ministry trip. I did a writing workshop with her—on poetry. And here is her voice reading poetry—and suddenly I hear more than the scripture. I hear a strong brave woman. And I met her again on another trip and I have her books on my shelf. I keep listening and i hear her speaking about Jesus. I hear the wise words she said to me when we spoke at a table in the corner after the event. She is my friend and the sound of her voice calms my heart.

Is that what made my friend ‘well-up’ when we were reading during compline prayer? Is it that the sound of our voice brings so much more that the words? 

And Peter, what did he hear when Jesus asked him, Peter, do you love me? Did Peter hear all the times Jesus asked questions, do you want to be well? What do you want? Who do you say that I am? Why are you so afraid? Did he hear all the times he pulled Jesus aside and asked for help? Did he hear the compassion of the Jesus’ heart that raised a widows son?

But I guess my real question is what do people hear when they hear my voice? Especially my kids. Do they hear fun, compassion and love? I hope so. I’m sure they hear other things too…But I’m going to keep speaking so they have a fuller range. 

And it’s late and I’m writing this in the living room and a big spider is running across the floor so that’s all folks.