One cell phone company’s ad campaign features a character in all sorts of remote places asking, “Can you hear me now?” The implication is that if he were using another cell phone provider, his words would have fallen on deaf ears.
It’s frustrating when others fail to hear what he have to say, for whatever reason. But it’s tragic when we fail to hear what God has to say to us. Consider today’s gospel. Jesus gave two examples of God’s people refusing to hear God’s word as spoken by God’s prophets, Elijah and Elisha. People didn’t like God’s word as spoken through Jesus either, and they tried to kill him.
All of us are guilty of failing to listen to God’s word. Maybe our Lord is challenging us through today’s gospel to ask ourselves what it is we don’t want to hear, won’t allow ourselves to hear, or are failing to hear because we just aren’t listening at all. Is it about money? Forgiveness? Our use of time? Sex? Are we too proud to hear? Too angry? Too indifferent? Too addicted?
Perhaps we can all use the remainder of Lent to truly open our ears to God, so that should he say to us, “Can you hear me now?” our answer will be an emphatic “Yes!”
Readings for today’s Mass: http://www.usccb.org/nab/032811.shtml
I’ve never viewed this commercial hook from this perspective. I always saw it as Verizon implying that their network had greater reach than other networks; if you don’t use Verizon’s network you’re in danger of missing out on the action due to low signal strength and dropped calls. The ironic thing about cell phones and listening to God is the ability of cell phones to eclipse ones ability to hear and see God in the present moment.
One night, in a line of backed up traffic, I was rear ended by someone distracted on their cell phone. How many times have you been bumped into, with bearly an apology or acknowledgement, by someone glued to their cell phone oblivious to anything occuring around them?
You’re right- our attachment to new technologies can indeed make us unaware of our surroundings! Like you, I’ve been “bumped” many times on the sidewalk.