Silence time

I have not written over the last few days, and I have been less active than usual on the other blogs I frequent. There are times to speak out, and times to keep silent (with apologies to Ecclesiastes.) For me the last few weeks have been more and more silent time.

There are always many reasons for silence, one is reminded of the old American proverb that it is better to keep silent and be thought a fool than it is to remove all doubt. Any mystic needs to keep silence to hear the voice of God. I do that, every day, albeit I don't hear every day -- my fault, not God's. Sometimes the conversation seems to get on better if I simply let it although that does not apply here very often. My little efforts seldom engender conversations -- alas.

Tonight, after several weeks of not meeting, our mid-week Bible class will re-convene. We have had something of a siege. The deacon who leads us has been very ill, his wife broke her shoulder (severely) and their home is where we meet. Add in Easter, Holy week and the like and it has been a while. We have no topic now, having finished a book just before Easter.

I expect the discussion tonight to be where we are taking this class -- what do we read next? I also expect me to be pretty close to silent. If I could, I would skip the event entirely, but at the least I want to be very much in the listening business. This because I think this is a conversation I can best advance by being quiet.

So, too, on the web. I have been not commenting at OCICBW, because of the apparent anger the host has expressed over some comments. I don't think my comments have been a direct problem, but I am not sure and don't want to add fuel. I have little to say on several other places where I am regular -- either because of the topics or because of the tone. And in one case, I think I got trolled. I was drawn into a conversation that became utterly secular as the other person sought to prove some obscure and speculative point.

A time to gather stones, a time to refrain from gathering stones together. A time to type a time to refrain from typing.

FWIW
jimB