A time to keep silence… (Ecclesiastes 3: 7)

In a world saturated with so much sound, silence is, indeed, golden. In virtually every environment, sound is in the background. The sound of machines is in the background of a factory. The sound of the television is in the background of family interactions. The sound of motorized vehicles is in the background of traffic. Therefore, the sound of silence is a precious rarity. Nevertheless, we would do well to remember that:

Silence Must Be Valued – Silence is valuable because it cleanses the noise pollution in the air. Silence is valuable because it brings calm to your spirit. Then, silence is valuable because you can hear yourself think in silence. Furthermore, silence is valuable because you can hear God speak in silence.

Silence Must Be Created – Since sound is so pervasive and intrusive, it will not go away quietly. Hence, if silence is to be enjoyed, it must be intentionally created. A place for silence, a time for silence and an appreciation for silence must be actively made. Gadgets must be turned off. Certain apps must be turned off. Doors must be closed. Machined put on mute. People must be told. This is a time for silence. Even if it is only for a few minutes. Just as there are smoke free spaces, we all need to created noise free spaces in our day on a regular basis.

Silence Must Be Kept – In the first place, this passage is suggesting that silence must be kept in the sense of not speaking. That is, don’t break the silence by speaking. How you do you know when not to speak? 1. When you have nothing to add. 2. When you don’t know what you are talking about. 3. When what you are about to say will make things worse instead of better. 4. When it’s someone else’s turn to speak. In addition to this angle, there is also the suggestion that once silence has been created, it must be guarded and maintained.

All of us have experienced instances when we were just bursting with words and could hardly contain them, this passage reminds us that in such times and especially in such times, silence may be the best policy.