We will have to repent in this generation not merely for the hateful words and actions of the bad people but for the appalling silence of the good people. from Letters from a Birmingham Jail
04284 – Words, Actions, Silence, Bad, Good
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04130 – What Makes Absence Hurt?
There is no sense of absence where there has been no sense of presence. What makes absence hurt, what makes it ache, is the memory of what used to be there but is no longer. Absence is the arm flung across the bed in the middle of the night, the empty space where a...
03909 – Indifference to Racism?
While racism is certainly seen in hateful actions and words, it is also seen in our inaction and silence regarding the larger social problems that stem from our racist history and continue because of our indifference.
03873 – How to Take a Walk
Few people know how to take a walk. The qualifications are endurance, plain clothes, old shoes, an eye for nature, good humor, vast curiosity, good speech, good silence and nothing too much.
03773 – Learning from the Negative
I have learned silence from the talkative, tolerance from the intolerant, and kindness from the unkind.
03709 – Grief’s Purpose Must be Fulfilled
But unless we make space for grief, we cannot know the depths of the love of God, the healing God wrings from pain, the way grieving yields wisdom, comfort, even joy. If we do not make time for grief, it will not simply disappear. Grief is stubborn. It will make...
03700 – Silence
I like to think that silence was not only one of the best gifts we had to offer but also one of the signs that the Holy Spirit had come among us. from Leaving Church
03651 – The Irony of Life
Life is so ironic. It takes sadness to know happiness, noise to appreciate silence, and absence to value presence.
03431 – The Silence of the Men
I take so much delight in the silence of the men in the Christmas story. Zechariah can't speak. Joseph doesn't speak. While the words and emotions of Mary and Elizabeth are unapologetically centered. The sound of Advent is the voice of women.
03422 – Fragile vs. Strong Leaders
Fragile leaders silence those who criticize them. Strong leaders learn from them.