08/13/2023 ~ Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost ~ Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time ~ Proper 14 ~ Genesis 37:1-4, 12-28; Psalm 105: 1-6, 16-22, 45b; 1 Kings 19:9-18; Psalm 85:8-13; Romans 10:5-15; Matthew 14:22-33 ~ VIDEO OF FULL SERVICE: https://vimeo.com/showcase/7960701/video/854682885

The Sounds of Silence

“…after the fire there was a sound of sheer silence.” — 1 Kings 19:11b-12.

Actor Sir Richard Attenborough is probably best known for playing the part of the off-kilter Billionaire in the film Jurassic Park. But he also directed Gandhi, a film about one of a great civil rights leaders of the 20th Century, a film which won eight academy awards including Best Picture and Best Director. So he’s an even better director than an actor.

Mohandas Gandhi is sometimes known by the honorific Mahatma. Mahatma means Great Spirit. Gandhi’s methods of non-violent protest were adopted around the world and led to advances for the rights of many people in many nations.

The makers of that film, Gandhi, were clear about the limitations of the project. The introduction to the published screenplay says (quote): “No one’s life can be encompassed in one telling. There is no way to give each year its allotted weight, include each event, each person who helped to shape a lifetime. What can be done is to be faithful in spirit to the record and to try to find one’s way to the heart of the person…”

In an effort to frame the film in such a way as to help audiences understand Gandhi’s life, to give it context, the film both opens and closes with an image of violence: the assassination of Gandhi. The film, indeed, contains a lot of violence.

When asked why a film which is unquestionably about non-violence might contain so much violence Attenborough said a paradox of making this film was you can’t portray non-violence without addressing violence, showing violent acts. The contrast is essential. (Slight pause.)

To a certain extent, I find myself in the same place as Attenborough. I want to talk about silence. So I need to talk about sound, even noise.

Of this I am convinced: as humans we are, both by nature and by the nurturing Spirit of God, called to communicate. Many of us do that in more than one way. But certainly one way many communicate is through sound.

Indeed, since I am a song writer people sometimes ask me what my favorite type of music is. The question always puzzles me. You see, as a song writer, or perhaps because I am a song writer, I say music is simply organized sound.

So for me the more pertinent question needs to be ‘how is this sound we’re talking about organized?’ Is it organized in a way which can communicate something not necessarily just to or only to me but can it communicate something to someone, anyone?’

Asking that leaves me open to being able to appreciate multiple types of music, even if I do not fully understand or even like the types or styles of music to which I’m listening. It also opens the possibility that communication in a broad sense is central, rather than relying on my own relatively narrow vision.

Julian Treasure is a musician, an author and consultant. He works with services like Muzak and advises businesses on how to use sound. He says each of us comes to the table with filters. Our filters block communication.

Among the filters are culture, language, values, beliefs, attitudes, expectations, intentions. And both those who are trying to communicate and those with whom they are trying to communicate come to the table with filters, judgments or perhaps better put: pre-judgements.

That, I think, brings me to the key point about sound: sound is not about noise. Sound, or at least understanding sound, is about listening carefully while trying to cancel out our prejudicial filters.

And when it comes to what we hear, studies tell us we actually listen not 100% of the time but just 60% of the time and we retain about 25% of what we hear. And we retain that 25% only when we concentrate really, really hard on just listening, not making sound— just listening. (Slight pause.)

These words are from the work known as First Kings: “…after the fire there was a sound of sheer… silence.” (Slight pause.)

Throughout Scripture God speaks to people. That poses a question: does God still talk with us, speak with us? (Slight pause.) Is it possible to know when or if God communicates, speaks, especially if we retain only 25% of what we hear even when we concentrate and when it’s just another person speaking to us?

Indeed, Paul Simon might have nailed this issue in a song. Does it not often seem that in our era we have (quote): “People hearing without listening”? (Slight pause.)

So let’s ask these questions: if God does speak, through whom and how does God speak? And are we listening?

And what does listening mean? Mark Twain said (quote): “The right word may be effective, but no word is ever as effective as a well-timed… pause.” (Slight pause.)

Tom Rasely is a composer with whom I work. Tom says he is very aware of pauses, silences. In music you can have a series of notes, sounds, interrupted by what are referred to as ‘rests.’ Rests are silences that give a musician and the listener time to pause and reflect, time to consider, time to prepare for what will happen next.

In short, sometimes what you don’t play as a musician can make what you do play sound better. But still, silence can be unsettling to most of us. When we hear nothing, especially for long periods of time. Indeed, it can be quite unnerving. (Long pause— about 35 seconds.) See? We Protestants like noisy services.

Today we also heard from Peter in a boat on the lake, Peter who really, really listened when Christ said “Come” and did. So what was Peter’s problem?

Why did Peter start to sink? Did Peter stop listening? Or was Peter simply distracted by noise, the noise of the wind? (Quote): “Peter noticed how strong the wind was, became frightened and, beginning to sink,…” (Slight pause.)

I want to suggest Peter was doing just fine until the noise of the wind, a noise other than the voice of Jesus got in the way. It was not that Peter stopped hearing. The voice of Jesus was still there. Peter stopped trusting.

Was Peter distracted? Probably. Here’s what I think: trust helps us concentrate really, really hard on what’s really, really important.

Therefore, I do want to suggest God does speak in the silence. And God also does speak with a cacophony of many voices and in a cacophony of multiple voices. And the voice of God is there, present, even among clattering, chattering, distracting voices and noises.

So, how does God speak? God speaks with the voices of the loving spirits of those around, the members of the community of faith, this community of faith.

So yes, God does speak clearly and God does clearly speak. This happens especially when we trust God. That leaves us with a simple question: where and when does God not speak? (Slight pause.)

God does not speak in or through the noise of injustice. God does not speak in or through the noise of violence. If the noise we hear is not fair and beneficial to all, if the noise we hear is the violence of oppression— economic, physical or cultural oppression— or the violence which sets people apart as being different, strange, unacceptable— that is the sound, that is the noise of injustice. When we see or hear the sound, the noise of injustice, we know God is not speaking.

So it seems to me our job, our goal is to listen for God because God does speak. And in order to hear God speak, I think we need to concentrate really, really hard. (Slight pause.)

In many ways what Gandhi did is filter out the noise of injustice and the noise of violence. And I believe the best way to filter out the noise of injustice and the noise of violence is to trust God.

So yes, I believe God speaks. But that leaves a final question: do we trust God to the point where we listen hard enough to filter out the noise of violence and the noise of injustice and really hear both that God does speak and what God is saying. Indeed, can we hear what God says even and especially when God speaks in the silence? Amen.

08/13/2023
Elijah Kellogg Church, Harpswell, Maine

ENDPIECE: It is the practice of the Pastor to speak after the Closing Hymn, but before the Choral Response and Benediction. This is an précis of what was said: “The last words of Paul Simon’s The Sounds of Silence are these (quote): ‘The words of the prophets are written on the subway walls— And tenement halls— And whispered in the sounds of silence.’ Paul Simon is Jewish and I don’t know if he is a Hebrew scholar. But what we translate in this passage we heard as ‘sheer silence’ can also be translated as whispered silence. Whispered in the sounds of silence— Paul Simon’s words. Indeed, Elijah hears whispered silence and listens for the voice of God. The bottom line: listening for God is, I think, the key.”

BENEDICTION: We are called to care in a world which can be uncaring, commissioned as lovers among some who may offer back indifference. Know this: God is with us in all our days. So, let us go forth knowing that the grace of God is deeper than our imagination, the strength of Christ is stronger than our need and the communion of the Holy Spirit is richer than all our togetherness. May God guide and sustain us today and in all our tomorrows. Amen.