Tuesday, December 01, 2020
For I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39
In 1966 Japanese Christian Shusaku Endo wrote Silence, a novel about faith in the midst of adversity, influenced by his own experience of religious discrimination in Japan, racism in France, and a bout with tuberculosis.
Many religious experiences that produce startling and inspiring testimonies are transactional. I prayed. God answered. Praise God!!
But…But.. But.
What happens when God is silent? When God is absent, not near at all? When the prayer is not answered?
I used to hike the Grand Canyon on an annual basis. It is common and natural to invoke awe and wonder in the face of such natural beauty. However, at the bottom where the exposed rock is the oldest, it is dark and lifeless. God is silent for me there.
So, where have I experienced God in the midst of silence?
There was the moment I wandered alone into an empty church in Nordlingen, Germany and listened to someone playing the organ. There was the time we invited a Muslim houseguest from Iraq to join us at the Christmas Eve service and he said, “Yes, at times like this one should be in a holy place.” There is the time every time we sing the hymn “Peace Like a River.” Check out the story behind it if you do not know it.
Ultimately, I experience God most assuredly, even in times of silence, when I hear the Word and specifically whenever I read Paul’s proclamation of trust in Romans 8.
Lord, even in the silence, I trust that You are with me. Hear my prayer.
Harl Pike
