The Silence of God
Sometimes, I think that some theologies are built on exceptions rather than the norm. For example, one might say, “God still speaks audibly today.” Which I think can be true. But it’s also true that most of history is filled with God’s silence. For every burning bush there are 400 years of slavery in which faith is worked out against the backdrop of silence.
Eugene Peterson hits this idea with this quotation in his book Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places:
Any understanding of God that doesn’t take into account God’s silence is a half truth — in effect, a cruel distortion — and leaves us vulnerable to manipulation and exploitation by leaders who are quite willing to fill in the biblical blanks with what the Holy Spirit never tells us. (p. 156)
Some may get depressed by this idea of working out faith against the backdrop of silence, but personally, this excites me because this is where things like the community of faith and the revelation of Scripture are so significant and meaningful.
I would disagree with you on the idea that God was silent during the slavery period. I believe that there was a substantial prophetic voice fighting against slavery, but men where depraved, and their lust for profit overran their longing for righteousness. Just as there is a substantial prophetic voice speaking out against abortion, but our lust for freedom and prosperity is overrunning our desire to be righteous.
books.google.com is fascinating because many of the actual writings from the period are now online for free. If you read the writings of the time, you will come up with a much different opinion than you get from the history books. History books have sanitized the debate down to its secularity. The debate was a largely theological debate, so when you read in the history books is a lot of silence. When you read the texts of the time, you see a deep love for God and a grief over the sinful heart of the country.
Josh R
February 26, 2008 at 8:39 am
“Sometimes, I think that some theologies are built on exceptions rather than the norm. ”
Only ’some’?
Many are also built out of opposition. “My theology is this way because yours is that way.”
There should be some sort of Spiritual DSM to diagnose spiritual disease.
joshua
February 26, 2008 at 8:50 am
I think Charlie was referring to Israel’s captivity in Egypt and the silence of God between Genesis 50 and Exodus 1.
ben
February 26, 2008 at 10:53 am
I think sometimes God is quiet to check if anyone is really listening.
When I am in a one way conversation…. there is very little motivation to give a heart felt response…When I am listening to someone talk and talk and talk… they are drawing conclusions… assessing facts… without giving any space for others to shape the conversation… I am so checking out…
I wonder if God checks out of the conversation…
When I am talking about Him… representing Him like He isn’t even in the room…
leesat
February 26, 2008 at 12:46 pm
Ben – thanks for the clarification — you’re right I was talking about the Israelites slavery in Egypt.
charliedean
February 27, 2008 at 6:50 am
L.T. –
agreed. there are times when i believe God’s silence is a direct result of my not giving him space to speak.
but i would still argue that there are other times where God is silent. in fact, throughout most of history God has been silent.
this isn’t depressing, or sad to me in any way. i think he’s given us beautiful stories of himself in Scripture. and he’s given us a community of faith to speak words of encouragement and faith when God seems silent, so in a very real sense, he’s always speaking. in addition the psalms repeatedly remind us that nature continually screams out “God is!”
charliedean
February 27, 2008 at 6:54 am
Sorry about being an idiot..
. I have been pretty fascinated with the early American abolitionist literature as of late..
Josh R
February 27, 2008 at 10:42 am