THE GOSPEL OF SILENCE
An extraordinary author by the name of Chaim Potok (one of
my favorites) writes extensively about the life experiences of Hasidic
Jews. He penned numerous novels that I have greatly enjoyed over the
years: “In The Beginning,” “The Book of Lights,” “Davita’s Harp,” “My Name is
Asher Lev,” “The Promise,” and my all-time favorite, “The Chosen.”
In Potok’s book, “The Chosen” he spins the story of Danny
Saunders, the eldest son of a strict Hasidic Rabbi. For
many years, Danny’s brilliant yet very human father, never spoke one word to
his son, except when teaching him out of the Torah and Talmud.
On the surface, this total silence appears to be a terrible
act of cruelty, but eventually the mystery is revealed. Rabbi Saunders explains that God has blessed
him with a remarkable son, a child with a mind as rare and precious as a priceless
jewel. When Danny was just four years old, his father saw him reading a
book and became frightened. The book described the suffering of a poor
Jew, yet Danny appeared to thoroughly enjoy it!
In Rabbi Saunders’ view, “There was no soul in my
4-year-old Daniel, there was only a mind.” The Rabbi cried out to God,
“What have you done to me? A mind like this I need for a son? A
heart I need for a son, a soul I need for a son…compassion, righteousness,
strength to suffer and carry pain!”
Thereafter Rabbi Saunders followed an ancient Hasidic
tradition and brought his boy up with a bare minimum of words ever passed
between them. The result, from the Rabbi’s point of view? “In the silence
between us, Danny began to hear the world crying.”
If this story sounds vaguely familiar, it is due to this
fact: Every mature Christian has experienced painfully lonely moments when GOD
appears to be silent, entirely absent from our current circumstances. Somehow prayer seems hollow and ineffective
when GOD is MIA, i.e. missing in action. Frantically, we ask ourselves,
“Does Heaven even HEAR us? Oh GOD…are you there?” At such times, we enter into careful
soul-searching, an honest self-examination to ascertain our culpability in ‘the divine absence.’ But quite
often, no transgression is discoverable that clearly tells us ‘WHY’ God has
gone on sabbatical. We feel isolated. We feel desperate and fearful
that He might not soon return to us.
But the promises of God are steadfast and sure. (Hebrews
6:19) What did Jesus Christ say? “Lo, I AM WITH YOU ALWAYS, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew
28:20)
But God’s teaching methodology is visibly reflected and resounded
throughout His creation. Those seasons of silence are much like the
moment when the soaring eagle drops its eaglet into the upper atmosphere,
trusting that there is sufficient knowledge and strength for the young
offspring to soar on its own. Those seasons of silence are much like the
moment when I removed training wheels from the bicycles of Wayne II, or Mike
and Kim – giving them one hopeful push while trusting that I had been a
skillful tutor and they had been attentive learners.
Rabbi Saunders always loved his son. The mature eagle
is always nearby. The watchful parent never leaves the scene. But
mission-critical lessons of TRUST and FAITH reside in their apparent
silence and distance.
LIKEWISE, MY FRIEND, GOD HAS NOT FORGOTTEN YOU.
LESSON LEARNED.
Sometimes, He is merely allowing space for your spiritual, ethical
and emotional development, i.e. the priceless opportunity to be experientially conformed to the image of
Christ. So, let’s not stress about present-day circumstances.
For we will soon see that there is purpose in the pressure. And there is
destiny in what only ‘looks like’
distance.
Look around you, my friend. JEHOVAH SHAMMAH IS THERE.
(Ezekiel 48:35)
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