Deathly Silence

Deathly silence and disappointment reigned on the morning of this Holy Saturday. Our Lord was gone, crucified and buried. Three years of preaching, teaching and working miracles led to this bitter end. Now what? The disciples and women who followed Jesus were surely distraught. Their leader, the man they so believed, was dead. Where to go from here? After all they had all made sacrifices for Jesus, only to witness his human execution. But even more than followers, they were his friends and they loved him, just as Jesus loved them.  Deathly silence reigned.

Often in our spiritual lives there is a deafening silence that leads to disappointment and despair. We try to remain faithful and then something like a bad medical diagnosis or a tragedy strikes and we cannot feel God’s presence any longer. Perhaps we have faithfully followed Christ all of our lives, seeking his help in times of trouble, knowing he was always there for us. There is a sudden void in our spirits, like the disciples surely felt. Fear creeps in and we begin to grasp at straws, seeking something, anything to fill that vacated space. Unfortunately we often fill that hole with things that are unhealthy for us. God is gone. He has deserted us and left us vulnerable. How do we move on from this place of desolation?

We are a spiritually vulnerable people, often open to attack by the Enemy. In those silent and desperate places our faith is tested. Will we continue to believe in Christ’s presence or will we turn to other things to find relief? Fear creeps in and we become lost and easily influenced by things that are unhealthy for our bodies, minds and spirits. If we are not careful our lives become consumed with spiritual garbage and debris. We turn from our faith, often unintentionally to purse worldly desires in place of Christ.  We soon find ourselves in worse trouble and even more isolated than before.

Jesus told his disciples all along what he must face. He told them that he would be put to death and rise again. They either didn’t understand or simply didn’t listen. The same is true for us in those times of spiritual deserts. Christ has not abandoned us. He is present in the deafly silence. He will return to us in fully resurrected strength. We just have to continue with our prayers and pursue our faith. For it is in the silence and vulnerability that our faith and love for God grows stronger. It is an opportunity for us to be more trusting of Christ and less selfish. It is an opportunity for us to get outside of our self-absorption and minister to others in more need. Thus we suddenly find the risen Lord working quietly in our life. He never left.

Just as the disciples met the risen Lord and became stronger from their struggles, so will we. God has not deserted us. The faith of Jesus’ followers grew out of that silence and their lives took on a new meaning and purpose. So will our lives if we simply hang on and continue to believe, despite the silence. For silence is the language of God, anything else is a bad interpretation.