THE STILL SMALL VOICE


What is the loudest noise you ever heard? Did you ever hear an immense
cannon fired? Of course you have heard thunder. The loudest, most
terrifying noise I ever heard was a boiler explosion. The town heating
plant was only three doors from my home. The whole plant blew up one
prayer meeting evening. The church building was plunged into darkness,
the walls shook, windows were broken on every side. In terror people got
down on their knees and crept toward the door. That was the loudest
noise I ever heard.

Now I have here a hammer. I will drop it to the floor. Listen. Is the
noise very loud? Here I have a heavy railroad spike. Hear the noise this
makes as it is dropped. And now I shall drop this large nail. The noise
that made is not nearly as loud as the noise occasioned by the falling
hammer. Here is a small nail. You will have to listen very carefully if
you hear the sound of the nail as it strikes the carpet. Have you good
ears? Let us test them. Here is an ordinary pin. If you keep very quiet
you will be able to hear the falling of this tiny pin. Do not move in
your seat. Every one, attention! Listen. Did you hear it? Yes, most of
you did.

That pin did not make much noise. No sound could be more subdued than a
dropping pin. Ah, but there is a sound that is infinitely more quiet. At
the same time it is louder than the roll of thunder, or the firing of a
huge cannon, or the explosion of a great boiler. Some call it
"conscience." I like to think of it as a voice. It is the still, small