My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.

James 1:19

“Chris, how was the Sabbatical? Did you get the rest you needed? Did you learn a lot about yourself? What is the new vision you have for our church?” I know I must get ready for these questions, in fact I have already had it occur numerous times in the past week as I rubbed shoulders with people who tell me they are excited for me to get back at it.

So far my answer to all of these questions has been a stilted silence. I don’t feel compelled to answer right away, so I remain silent. It is not that I don’t know what to say, but I have learned this past month silence is my friend, and we have spent some meaningful, important time together. Silence is like an old friend reacquainted, and I have missed him.

For the month of August I intentionally went off radar: I stayed away from church, I backed off from social media (no comments or posts or cheeky quips), I sat in the back of different churches on Sunday and I often camped out on my back deck and read. At first it was really difficult not to want to engage, to call the friend who was sick, to argue with the fool on Facebook…but I made myself stay out. I purposefully pulled myself away and sat alone.

I went silent.

Try being silent for a day, or two days. For most of us it is virtually impossible to do. We have to talk and comment and always give our two cents on every subject. And often that is about what our uncensored comments are worth…two cents. As the Grinch once said, “The world seems to be polluted with noise, noise, noise, noise, noise!” And how much of that noise is the unfettered verbiage from our own open gullet? I realized I have a problem, alongside the rest of the world, we think our opinions are the most important. So we bluster and blast, and our old friend silence humbly fades once again into the background.

Well this past month silence tapped me on the shoulder and said in his timid unassuming way, “Spend some time with me and shut your mouth. Just you and me.” Since my church was kind and encouraged me to meet with him, I gladly said, “Yes!” For a month we met often. He showed me a lot of things: There is an overwhelming amount of singing birds in my backyard, my dog likes to catch and eat bees, the smell of freshly chopped cherry wood is tantalizing, scripture becomes more alive and personal when it is read not to be taught or preached but just for me to ponder and soak in, and God wants to have his part to play in my daily life.

Silence is also scary, and maybe that is why he is rarely invited over for a day. He encourages other people to speak rather than me, and more often than not they have much better things to say…way better! Silence unearths your insecurities that must be dealt with. Silence chases away the three liars that like to flatter,  “Mr. Hype”, “Mr. Self-Promotion”, and “Mr. Competition.” These three liars are always pushing me to prove myself. To use words to try to impress. But silence forces me to step back and wait, consider what is really important, and to let God handle the rest.

What would happen if silence convinced our President to stop tweeting, or held back the army of news pundits, journalists and blowhards from constantly attacking? What if silence inspired teenagers to quit Instagramming, Tick-Tocking, and Snap-chatting? What would happen if you enjoyed your meal with your kids instead of snapping pictures of it? Or no longer responded to click-bait articles that are intended to get you mad and not really inform you with honest information? What would happen if every Sabbath, or Sunday families went silent and spend time with those they loved? Or walked in the woods? Or watched the waves lap up on the beach?

Can people wait one day, just one day, to discuss the news? Can people stop reacting with their mouth when they are offended or hurt? How often do we get things wrong because we are “Slow to hear, quick to speak and quick to get angry?”

One final thought: Have you ever really meditated on Matthew 12:36? I mean really, really let it sink in? Just take a listen, “But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken.”

Every empty, mindless, senseless, foolish, angry, potty-mouthed, snarky, caustic, vile word you say will be judged! Can you imagine? Just think, there is a day coming when Jesus himself will come to you, face to face, shining as bright as lightning, and replay words, your words back to you. Whether those words are spoken, written, muttered, tweeted, blasted, ranted, and he will ask you, “Why did you say that? Why did you curse your brother? Why did you slander your neighbor? Why did you humiliate your child? Why did you damn your God?”

Invite silence back in. He will really do you some good!

When is the last time you heard the birds sing?