King George VI: Listen to Me! Listen to Me!
Lionel Logue: Why would I waste my time listening to you?
King George VI: Because I have a voice!
Lionel Logue: Yes you do!
The King's Speech:

And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim.
Acts 2: 4

No words stood out to me more powerfully in The King's Speech than those uttered by King George VI, I have a voice. Upon hearing them, I imagined that after years of struggling to get out the simplest of words without stammering, King George's ability to finally do so was because he recognized his inherent worth. He found his voice! What he had to say was important!

I have a voice...you have a voice...we have a voice!  We live in challenging times. Times that demand us to use our individual and collective voice to stand with our sisters and brothers who find themselves marginalized. It is not always easy to do, and it requires courageous risk-taking. We may struggle to find the words and at times stammer like King George VI.

Yet, we need not be afraid. The Holy Spirit, promised by Jesus, is with and within each and all of us! The Spirit who gives us strength when we feel weak, and hope when we feel despair, also gives us words when we need them most!

As we move through this great day of Pentecost, may we take the time to give thanks for the gift of the Spirit's presence. May we also listen deeply for the ways in which the Spirit is leading and challenging us to find and use our voice.

---Joan Dollinger
SSJ Associate

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