From Maintenance To Mission

What would you do if you couldn’t speak for nine whole months? And what if there were no cell phones, so texting or posting on social media weren’t an option? In this day and age, many of us can barely go nine minutes without posting, tweeting, or checking to see what someone else has shared, so nine months seems quite impossible - but it has been done. Maybe you remember the story of Zechariah…
He is the husband of Elizabeth, Mary’s older cousin whom she visited shortly after Jesus was conceived. Elizabeth and Zechariah are the parents of John the Baptist. Due to their advanced age they thought their prayers for a child had gone unanswered, so Zechariah was quite surprised when an angel of the Lord appeared to him while he prayed in the temple and told him that his wife would bear him a son. (Read Luke 1:5-25 for all the awesome details). When Zechariah questioned the angel out of doubt and skepticism he was told, “you will be speechless and unable to talk until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my words” (Luke 1:20). Nine. Whole. Months.
We can only imagine what that time must have been like. Frustration must have been a good part of it. But silence can also bring profound joy. Think of the snow that falls silently, blanketing the world and muffling the noise, slowing us down for just a little while. And remember that seeds sprout in the silent darkness of the earth, growing without a sound into flowers, food and magnificent tall trees. It’s clear from what happened when John the Baptist was born that those nine months of silence were also a time of transformative grace for Zechariah. Upon the birth of his son he rejoiced and praised God first. Perhaps his temporary handicap had been an opportunity to learn how to pray more deeply and listen more intently, helping him to realize how much God loved him and wanted to bless him and his family. Our God goes to great lengths and uses unconventional methods to get our attention. Is he trying to get yours?
As we grow in discipleship and move our parish from maintenance to mission, Advent is the perfect time to embrace silence. Try shutting down your cell phone for a few minutes here and there, or skip the TV and just invite him to be with you for a while. Have you noticed that the exact same letters that are used to spell SILENT can be rearranged to spell LISTEN? God doesn’t need nine whole months to transform your life, just an invitation and a space to dwell in the silence of your heart. Then watch and see how he wants to bless you and your family, just as he did for Zechariah.