A Time To Keep Silent

We are in a staff meeting checking calendars. Mine lists lots of speaking engagements. My colleague comments, “Mel will speak on any subject, anywhere.” I still don’t quite know what Don meant by that remark. I took it as much more of a put-down than as a vote of confidence.

In later years I realized that I should have taken it as a warning. Sometimes I have made speeches when I really should have chosen silence.

A rather fundamentalist congregation was sponsoring a weeklong revival. I was asked to speak on “the Battleground for the Gospel”. I knew what they wanted: Warnings against secular humanism in public schools, The shame of removing posters of the Ten Commandments in southern courtrooms, The threat of radical feminism, free condom or drug needles distribution. I chose another route.

I suggested that the real “Battleground for the Gospel” lay deep within the heart of each one of us. Our struggles between knowing the good, but not doing it. The continuing wish to earn God’s favor in place of freely accepting grace. The constant seeing of the speck in my neighbor’s eye, ignoring the beam in my own.

As I spoke, the usual “Amens” were very sparse. “Tell us brother” was not to be heard. At the end of the day I decided that I should have suggested a different speaker while I remained silent.

The event was a national conference of construction workers and spouses. It was in a very fancy Hollywood Hotel. I was scheduled to speak at a 3:30 p.m. sectional on effective parenting. Attendees there were hoping to forget their children for a few days. Vender hospitality suites next door were stocking their bars. My audience had one goal: Get out of here. Let the good times roll. Effective parenting - well, I’ll think about that when I get home. I should have chosen silence.

Not just a lecture, but a whole course. I was asked to teach General Psychology to a class in a seminary. Two problems: I was to teach it in Cantonese (even after 6 years in Hong Kong, teaching a psychology course in Chinese was not to be recommended.) the second problem: The only psychology texts available in Chinese were translations from Russian behaviorists, hardly the best grounding for future Lutheran pastors. The students (at least outwardly) were marvelously patient. I was terrible. I should have remained silent.

There is one whole class of speaking opportunities that has no equal. Give a lecture, conduct a workshop or lead a seminar. Do it for a faculty that is required to attend. Speak at the close of the school day on a Friday afternoon in any (especially urban) school in America. Forget about it. Stay silent.

The ancient writer had it so right, “There is a time to speak and a time to remain silent.” Why is that silent part so hard to put into practice?