This week’s readings center around hearing God’s voice and heeding the call to faithfulness. Each scripture bears witness to the power of God’s presence in the words and an invitation to respond.
Words can both harm and heal. They can usher peace and new life into a soul, or they can strip a soul of hope and freedom. Even the right words offered at the wrong time can have dire consequences. In Mark 8, Peter recognizes Jesus as the Messiah. However, Jesus quickly tells Peter to keep his knowledge to himself. He doesn’t just tell, he warns the disciples not to share what they know. Indeed, if Peter had proclaimed Jesus as the Messiah prematurely, he would have cut Jesus’ earthly ministry short and hastened his death.
Sometimes God calls us to be silent. When we see persons struggling because of poor choices or when we watch them repeat harmful patterns of behavior, we may be tempted to highlight exactly why they are in their current predicament. Our motives are good. We all want the people we love to experience a joyful life, free of suffering. Yet sharing even a truthful message at the wrong moment can further harm the people we most want to help.
Sometimes kind silence or a word of encouragement is much more beneficial than sharing facts. God’s calling to speak will always be led by grace, gentleness, patience, and—above all else—love. If we speak outside of such motivations, we may speak the truth, but we do so outside of God’s calling.
As we approach our communities with our own confessions of Christ, may we recognize who Jesus is and when to share our message of hope.