Smalley

It was the night before the grand family party. Most of the dogs were at the front yard guarding the house against intruders.  One tiny dog named ‘Smalley”, though was relegated to the backyard, as he was deemed without much of a bark, without much of a bite.  No one dared enter the gates, as the guard dogs were alert. 

Unknown to them, a motley crew of thieves climbed their way up the fence behind the house deep in the night. ‘Smalley’ barked and attacked the intruders.  Threatened and kicked, ‘Smalley’ persisted. For a moment, the house occupants heard the little dog. But instead of going out to see what was happening, shouted, “Shut up!” “Smalley” could not do anything more, for even the guard dogs didn’t mind him at all. The thieves were able to steal many items from the house that the party had to be postponed.

New Zealand conducted elections for its Parliament on September 20. During the campaign period, the Conservative Party (CP) that stood for Christian principles and traditional family values, campaigned intensely, but was barely noticed as the bigger parties, National, Labour and Greens, took primetime media coverage. Two other parties - NZ First and Internet-Mana - indulged in attention-grabbing controversies to entice voters for their causes. 

Sadly, there were those who criticized the Conservative Party for trying to bring New Zealand back to the “dark ages”, as if, good morals and traditional values have become outdated and passé. CP obtained 4.1% of the overall party votes, .8% short to bring its candidates to Parliament.  Like “Smalley”, CP barked hard, but failed to gain the needed support to have its voice heard in the legislature. But its leader, Colin Craig, said that he isn’t giving up, and will be back in three years time. Surely not, as CP is now ranked as the fifth most important party in New Zealand.

“Smalley” and the Conservative Party are voices in the wilderness, much like that of John the Baptist. “A voice of one calling: "In the wilderness prepare the way for the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.” (Isaiah 40:3) “Wilderness” in the modern world no longer applies to a place, but rather to the lifestyle of people.  For in the “wilderness” there is sinfulness that direct people from the highway to God to a desert of temptation, selfishness and immorality.

John persisted in his calling and according to one writer, “he was a "voice", but not a mere voice; nor was his ministry a mere voice of words, as the law was, but it was the sweet voice of the Gospel, proclaiming the coming of the Messiah; encouraging men to believe in him; calling them to evangelical repentance, and publishing remission of sins in the name of Christ, and pointing him out as the Lamb of God, which takes away the sin of the world: this voice was "crying"; it was not a still small voice, it was a very loud one; John lifted up his voice like a trumpet; he delivered himself with great zeal and fervency; and it was "in the wilderness" where this voice was heard.”

In due time, the small voices in the likes of Colin Craig will become louder, and resonate through society.