Sometimes God speaks in the quietest ways—a fleeting sound, a passing moment, a simple reminder that we are part of something far bigger than ourselves. He calls us to notice, to pause, to revere the connections we might otherwise overlook.
Travel has a way of making this impossible to ignore. We often see differences first—skin tones, languages, foods—but beneath it all, we share far more than we realize. It’s like walking through a field of wildflowers: each bloom unique in shape and color, yet together forming a single, breathtaking tapestry.
For me, one of the clearest reminders of this shared humanity has been… ringtones.
No matter where we went—bustling airports, quiet towns, crowded cities—the sound of a phone ringing felt instantly familiar. One simple tone, echoing across continents and cultures, somehow bridged the distance. Every time it rang, I thought of that old Disney tune: “It’s a small world after all.” In the ordinary noise of life, even a ringtone can become a call to reverence.
In Florence, Italy, I encountered a modern echo of this truth. In the Piazza della Signoria—surrounded by Renaissance statues and centuries of history—is a bronze sculpture called Time Unfolding. A woman stares at her cellphone, frozen in a private moment amid timeless beauty. I was struck by the contrast: a figure of distraction set against the grandeur of the past. And yet, in that quiet irony, I saw a reminder: the ordinary can be a doorway to the sacred, if only we allow ourselves to see.
It brought to mind the words of the Apostle Peter:
“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people who are God’s own possession. You have become this people so that you may speak of the wonderful acts of the one who called you out of darkness into his amazing light.”
—1 Peter 2:9
The Apostle wrote these words in a time of division, yet he pointed toward something greater—a unity that transcends race, culture, and social status. Through God’s Spirit, we are one family, bound not by what separates us, but by His Spirit.
I still think of that Florence statue: a woman lost in her phone, surrounded by history and beauty she might never notice. How often do we do the same spiritually—so absorbed in the noise of life that we miss the still, sacred moments calling us to reverence?
My prayer is simple: that in a world full of ringing phones, notifications and endless distractions, I might learn to pause, to listen, to notice the ordinary sounds that point toward the extraordinary. Even a ringtone, if we let it, can be an invitation—to awe, to wonder, to reverence.
Categories: Acts17seventeen
Pastor Mark
Mark, the eighth of nine children born to Reuben and Henrietta Meeks—dedicated church planters with nearly 30 congregations established across California’s Central Valley—is a preacher's kid who grew up immersed in faith and service. With over forty years of experience teaching, discipling, and ministering to communities, including the hospitalized and incarcerated, Mark responded to God's call to pastoral ministry. He holds degrees in civil engineering and public administration, as well as a Master’s in Theology from Fuller Seminary, equipping him to serve with both practical insight and spiritual depth.
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