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Posts Tagged ‘silence’

From Fear to Silence

Posted in Ordinary Time, tagged , , , on July 8, 2009| Leave a Comment »

John 9:22
His parents said this [about the miracle] because they were afraid of the Jews, for already the Jews had decided that anyone who acknowledged that Jesus was the Christ would be put out of the synagogue.

I have a problem with silence in general. I don’t mean keeping the silence, at least, that’s not my norm. Nope, I am a great talker. I am a typical “extrovert” and “A-type” personality. I fill space and time with talk. I talk to think. I talk fast. And as I’m talking, I’m watching the reaction. If what I have said seems to have offended in some way, I just keep talking until the other person’s body language settles down. I can usually talk myself in and out of trouble.

And yet, there are times I keep silent. If I fear my place in the scheme of things might be at risk, I do hold back. I think this is a poor reason to be quiet. It’s not so much choosing silence as it is choosing not to speak. There’s a difference.

If we are silent for fear of reprisals, that’s not the right motive. If we are silent because we have self-edited and decided our opinion will not have value, this is not the right motive. If we are silent because we don’t want people to know who we are or what we really think, this is not the right motive.

The best silence is the one for listening. The next best silence is the one we choose to avoid sin: gossip, hurtful remarks, and angry outbursts. But being silent out of fear is a bad habit.

Today, I want to look at the silences and examine their source.

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When We Speak in the Silence

Posted in Ordinary Time, tagged , , , , , , on June 18, 2009| Leave a Comment »

Psalm 37:7
Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.

Things are whirling about me… tensions, concerns, fears. The woes of our economy have reached into my personal life as our organization faces lay-offs, furloughs, and a branch closing. Lives will be changed; dreams will be shattered; hope will be challenged.

I am a little ashamed that I have found myself talking and talking and talking about what has happened, what is happening, and what will happen in the days ahead. Talking, talking, talking. Mostly. Not really praying.

I have not been listening… at least, I haven’t been listening in the quiet place, the secret place. I have been just a “sounding gong and clanging cymbal” [I Corinthians 13:1]. I have given my opinion, my interpretations, my gut feel, my take, my understanding, my inside information, and so on…

Today, I heard only one thing in my prayer time: Be Quiet!

When we speak in the silence unnecessarily, we cannot hear. And if we cannot hear, we cannot act in God’s will, only our own.

In Ecclesiastes, there is a long list about the timing of everything including speaking: (vs. 7b) “…a time to be silent and a time to speak, …”

Oh, may the remaining part of this day be transformed. Keep me mindful of these words: “He who guards his mouth and his tongue keeps himself from calamity.” [Proverbs 21:23]

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Will the Crowd Persuade?

Posted in Lent, tagged , , , on March 5, 2009| Leave a Comment »

Matthew 27:20
“But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus executed.”

My prayer, “Lord, don’t let the crowd sway me!” It so hard to go against the crowd. Generally, I confess, when the crowd is going one way (in conversation), if it’s uncomfortable, I will choose silence. It could be worse, I think. But then, I ponder those of us who were silent on the day Pilate brought Jesus out to be judged by the crowd, we might as well have cried out, “Crucify Him.” We did no better in our silence. Well, to stand, then, has some merit. But to speak would be better.

But… how do I stand, speak against the crowd, and still be humble? I don’t know. I really don’t know how to do that.

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