December 2: Silence

Be silent before the Sovereign Lord, for the day of the Lord is near. The Lord has prepared a sacrifice; he has consecrated those he has invited.- Zephaniah 1:7

One of my favorite Christmas carols is the old, haunting “Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence,” which is referencing a passage from one of the other Minor Prophets. Like yeast in an actual pantry, silence is the sort of ingredient in the Christmas pantry that is as indispensable as it is unappreciated.

No one ever bit into a warm and chewy piece of bread and remarked on the evident quality of the yeast that made it rise. But leave out the yeast or kill it with too much heat or not enough heat and the loaf is rendered all but inedible.

We are sojourners in a culture that acts as though it’s terrified of silence. And we pick up our culture’s habits.
Shed them. Turn off the music. Sit in the sort of silence that would make even God’s merest whisper plainly audible.

​And that silence will work like yeast to make the times of joyful celebration rise all the more.
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​Force some blossoms in time for Christmas. It’s the sort of thing that costs you nothing and can really serve to brighten the dreary days of winter.​

Written by: Joel Tate

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