advent: silence {dec 13 – dec 19}

My dad is a high school vocal and instrumental music teacher. He always taught us that when singing or playing music, we should pay close attention to the “rests” (the silent pauses in-between the notes) because they are just as important as the notes themselves. If there were no rests, all the notes would end up running together in noisy, monotonous chaos, and the beauty and effect of the music would be lost.

Sometimes our Christmas seasons are like music without the rests. All notes and no pauses. No silence. There are so many errands to run, presents to buy, events to attend, that Christmas becomes more like a month of noisy chaos than a musical masterpiece that stirs the soul.

In reflecting on the first Christmas, it is clear that God used silence, “rests” so-to-speak, to help communicate the story of His Son’s arrival on our planet.

Before Jesus showed up in smooth skin and swaddling clothes (think 1st century onesies), there were 400 years of silence! For centuries, prophets had been proclaiming the message of God, and then there was just nothing. No prophets. No new writings. No podcasts. Nothing. Israel waited. It was almost like the calm before the storm. Something big was coming.

As the 400 years came to an end, a old priest named Zechariah received some news from an angel–news that his wife would become pregnant with John, the one who prepare the way for Jesus. But Zechariah didn’t believe the news, and God hit “mute” on his vocal cords till the baby was born. Think about it, nine months of no talking. You know what usually happens when you talk less? You listen more. Nine months of listening in preparation for the coming Messiah. Interesting.

When Joseph got hit with the scandalous news that his fiancé was pregnant, his life would’ve gone into a tailspin. His hopes and dreams shattered, his heart crushed. His waking hours would’ve been consumed with the whirlwind of thoughts, questions, and feelings surrounding this unanticipated situation. Which may be precisely why God waited till Joseph was asleep. In the still, quiet of the night, when all the gossipers were in bed, and the awkward conversations with family members were put on hold, God spoke. In a dream, God whispered peace, guidance, and purpose. And in the silence, Joseph heard. He woke up the next morning and for the first time, understood the meaning of Christmas.

Several months later in a remote corner of the Roman Empire, as the world slept, God showed up. God’s “Word” came to us, and the Word sounded strangely like a newborn baby. Have you ever taken care of an infant? When he/she is sleeping you probably use a baby-monitor, turn down your music, set the TV volume lower, do whatever you need to so that other noises don’t hinder you from hearing the baby. We pay attention and listen intently because the cry of a baby means something. Sometimes it means he is hungry, sometimes it means he is scared or mad or tired. A couple thousand years ago the cry of a certain baby meant that God had arrived. That was a cry to pay attention to.

That first Christmas, God used silence to speak to people and prepare them for His coming. Maybe God wants to use silence again, to remind us of His first coming, and prepare us for His return. Christmastime does not have to be a chaotic bunch of notes grating our ears. With silence, with “rests”, it can be a melody of peace, hope, and renewal. Let’s quiet the “background noise” in our lives so we are ready to hear God. Zechariah had heard God and was ready for Christmas. Joseph was ready. Are you ready?

Response ideas:

1. Three times a day, for the next week, sit with your palms up, to signify releasing (the worries and craziness of your life?) and receiving (the peace/message/love of God). Close your eyes, relax your muscles and take 10 slow deep breaths. Listen with your heart, mind, and ears for God. (You may be surprised at how foreign it is to just sit still and be quiet, especially during this season.)

2. Once this week, by yourself or with a spouse or friend, read the story of Jesus’ birth from the Bible (Luke 2, for example). Sit in silence for 60 seconds before you read and ask God to help you see the story, and Him, in a new way. After you’re done reading, sit in silence for another 60 seconds, reflecting on anything that God may have taught you from the story. If you are with someone else, talk about what you “heard” in the story. If you have children, re-tell the Christmas story to them, explaining that they need to listen closely, because afterward they are going to pick something they heard and liked (a thing, word, idea) in the story and make/represent that (animal, star, baby, love, whatever) using play-doh, markers, pudding-on-wax-paper like finger paint, etc. Take note of what your child makes. What significance does that hold in the story? Is there something about that that can teach you more about Christmas?

3. Turn off the TV for a day. For the rest of the week, when/if you watch TV, mute all commercials.

4. If you always have the radio going in the car (I do), wait 5 minutes before turning it on, proving to yourself you will not die if there is no background noise. You could even use your new-found silence to better observe your surroundings—Christmas decorations on houses, people, trees, leaves, mountains—or just try to be a better driver—haha.