There are many claiming to be Christians who assert that God speaks to them. Ask how God speaks to them and one gets a plethora of responses, the most common being through the Holy Spirit, through the Bible (the Word), or through Jesus Christ Himself.

Those familiar with the Bible would at some point have come across instances in which the Jewish God was said to have spoken with man directly. Whether it was God speaking with Adam in the Garden of Eden, or God speaking with Moses, or Abraham, or Samuel etc, through stories in the Bible, we are given the impression that, at some point in time, God the creator spoke to man one-on-one.

For those believing that Jesus Christ is God, they also readily believe that His every interaction with mankind as He walked this earth was evidence of Him speaking to man directly.

Amongst the thousands of denominations within Christianity today, quite a few people also believe God speaks to mankind through prophecy, visions and dreams. Some even believe God speaks through nature; through the wind, through animals.

But where is the irrefutable evidence to suggest that God speaks to man in a direct and personal way as any two humans interacting with each other in person speak to one another?

Many would quickly jump up and assert that Jesus Christ left us the Holy Spirit when He returned to heaven. They would further assert that since the Holy Spirit is God, and the Holy Spirit speaks to man, then God still speaks to man. This article makes no attempt to determine how much of such belief is true.

Christianity, as a religious practice, is based on a system of belief and faith intertwined in a web of potential confusion at best. For the Christians, things are accepted because they are found in the Bible. And, for most Christians, that is all the evidence needed to convince them. For the non-Christian, evidence or proof based on the Bible is oftentimes inconclusive.

Many Christians hold the view that God is speaking to them personally through accepted scripture. So even though a letter was addressed to the church at Ephesus, for example, there are those who believe that the book of Ephesians speaks to them also and is applicable to their lives too. Who am I to suggest otherwise?

A dynamic, all-powerful supreme being would have the ability to communicate in any matter they deem fit. I cannot presume why God may speak to you in one manner and me in another. As much as I am interested in how God speaks, I must admit that I find it equally intriguing trying to determine whether or not it is God speaking in the first place.

I do not believe that every whisper in the air is God. I do not believe that every instruction given in the Bible necessarily comes from God.

I do not believe one has to have the right attitude towards God in order to hear from Him/Her. I do not believe one has to have a right relationship with God in order to hear from Him/Her.

I believe God still speaks to the sinner. I believe God still speaks to those who do not know of Him/Her nor those who believe in Him/Her.

Why?

I believe God still has much to say. And as long as we are willing to block out the distractions and noise that may prevent us from hearing that voice, and open our minds, I suspect we will hear from Him/Her.

Dexter Wharton is a linguist, a theologian, and communications officer at the Global Interfaith Council. Send comments to: dexterwharton@gmail.com