We were privileged to have Greg Jarrell as our guest speaker this Sunday. Chrys introduces Greg, then Eric reads from Mark 9:14-29 before Greg gives the message.
The silenced understand the silent spirit spoken about in the Mark passage. What it’s like to be told to go along just to get along. What it’s like to be tone policed. To be told to be grateful, not to come across as angry. To deny those things, those images that are essential to yourself in order to assure the comfort of others. To accept your station in life. You may have been told not to be troublesome or meddlesome, but to just keep moving, to stay quiet.
The silentious–the habitually silent–also know this. Told not to make waves, to be nice, rather than to be kind. Not to raise issues that would disturb the greater good. Don’t speak up about this; you’ll mess up the long-term strategy.
We’ve probably all been in both of those places at some point. Though, from our social locations maybe some more than others in different roles. The attempt to break silence results in a punishment, a backlash.
A different kind of prayer is needed to break the silence.
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