Lone Voice

As seen in the HEATbeat and the Village Voice

“Lone Voice”

            Several years ago, I had the opportunity to study the social dynamics of the wolf.  It is interesting to note that a pack of wolves is very social.  There is a clear hierarchy within the pack with the alpha male and alpha female.  This is known as the breeding pair.  There are very strict rules about who produces pack offspring and who doesn’t.  Those on the lower rungs of the hierarchal ladder are usually the helpers.  They bring food to the pups, teach the pups valuable hunting and navigation skills, and do most of the baby-sitting while the leaders of the pack are away hunting.  Let one of the social rules of the pack be broken, and a wolf can find itself kicked down the ranks of the pack and relegated to eating last, even after the pups.  If the infraction is severe, the wolf may find itself driven from the pack altogether, having to fend for itself to survive.

            The society of mankind is no less complex.  We have social norms we follow, rules of society.  We help those who are on the lower socio-economic ladder, as the leaders of the pack of wolves’ help feed those in the pack that may be injured and are unable to hunt for themselves for a time.  Helping others is just one of the many constructs we as humans have.  Put them all together, and the complexity of our society leaves the dynamics of the wolf pack far behind.

            When a wolf steps out of line, they can get ostracized.  Does this happen in the society of humans?  It sure can.  Growing up we experience peer pressure to conform to the rules of the ruling pack, and we learn it early in our teen years.  What happens when a person refuses to conform?  They may be labeled as weird, a non-conformist, a rebel, or even a troublemaker.  Kicking them out of the group is their punishment, and this may last for months to years.  It can have a profound effect on the personality formation of the young teen.

            Do we as adults do the same?  Don’t be too quick to answer.  Have you ever shunned someone just because they didn’t agree with you?  Social media is the breeding ground for such behavior.  Let one post on a platform be slightly controversial, and people will turn to hate speech, threats, and slander.  When did our country, or our world for that matter, find such ease in demeaning someone with whom we do not agree?

            John the Baptist was seen as a weirdo, a strange person in his time.  Yet, he had a mission.  People sought him out to hear this strange person preach repentance and baptism.  He told the story of the coming Messiah, a story told by many Old Testament prophets, but he was ignored.  God Himself sent John on this mission, and as such has been the only person in recorded history to have been filled with the Holy Spirit, even while in his mother’s womb.

            God equips the called.  He doesn’t call the equipped.  Is God calling you to do something miraculous for the kingdom of Heaven.  Could you be a lone voice crying out in the wilderness of our modern society?  Don’t worry.  God too will equip you for the task.  Be bold.  Be brave.  Be obedient!