Voice

“…Giving a voice to the forest, giving a voice to the dawn, giving a voice to the wilderness in the land that he lived on.” John Denver from song ‘Wild Montana Skies.’

I don’t know how it will turn out, for it could turn out badly, but I am glad to see the people protesting and demanding to have a voice in Egypt and other Middle Eastern countries. I wish the phenomenon that we observe it nature whereby ‘the cream or tide always rises’ would hold true in the tide of human affairs; that the opportunity for a life-and-freedom-affirming leader would arise from the ashes of a downtrodden people. The vacuum has been created by the misfeasance of previous ‘leaders’ and the need is great, but who will step up? Whoever it is, it must be a person of vision and one who respects the sanctity of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

Stephen R. covey in 2004 published his ‘The 8th Habit,’ building on his hugely successful ‘The 7 habits of Highly Effective People.’ It explains and develops this concept of ‘voice.’ ‘Voice,’ he says, is the nexus of need, passion, talent, and conscience. When it comes together to make a significant contribution to serve the good, hope and opportunity enters the life of a people. Or, a person.

Each of us, as well as the society in which we find ourselves, needs to have a world-view or paradigm that is life-affirming that can be a guide to our future. Then, if we have such a paradigm, we need to give voice to our own thoughts and beliefs so that we can let that voice be heard and be effective.

And so I applaud the courage and voice of the protestors and pray that they can encourage and choose a person of vision to lead them in the days ahead.

“Where there is no vision, the people perish….” (Proverbs 29:18)

As I think about it, a prophet could do that for a person, or a people, or the world, but who would give credence to such a thought? Revolutionary!