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An Old Testament Christmas, part 4: Out of the Silence (Fourth Sunday of Advent)
“Behind the depressing silence of this sea, the silence of God…the feeling that while men raise their voices in anguish God remains with folded arms, silent.”
-Shūsaku Endō, Silence
“And I don’t mind you disappearing
When I know you can be found…”
-The War on Drugs, “In Reverse”
Picture yourself across from a close friend of yours, enjoying a beverage — remember when you used to do that? Imagine, for a minute, that you are not wearing a mask, nor in need to socially distance. In other words, imagine another world. You’ve asked this friend to meet with you to seek their advice. They’ve always been wise and prove to be someone who truly understands you. This is why you called them: to listen first, to speak second, and to act only if it is the best thing for the current situation in which you find yourself.
As you begin to tell them why you’ve asked them to coffee, you get one and a half sentences out when their eyes avert and their face appears determined. They get up from their seat, look back at you and say, “I’ll take care of this for you!” And they abruptly walk out.
This, of course, is ridiculous, but it is also something else: a simple example of the…
