Reflection on Silence by Calvin Griffith

The end of chapter 2 in the book of Job stuck out to me and inspired me to reflect on silence. At the end of chapter 2, Job's friends arrive, and seeing that he is in such a state of dismay, they sit with him for 7 days without saying a word. Job is the first one to break the silence in chapter 3, by lamenting the day of his birth. The fact that his friends came and sat with him without saying a word for 7 straight days blows my mind. No one ever spends more than an hour together without talking, and even that is a stretch. The moment any of us meet one another, we immediately greet each other verbally, and I'm sure that was the case in Job's day as well. But his friends, upon seeing his sadness and utter grief and knowing that their words could not provide solace for him, simply sat in the ashes with Job. It was their presence that was important to Job, not their words. If only we could realize this in our culture as well. So often we find it necessary to say words of comfort, to somehow come up with some moving and inspirational words of wisdom for a grieving friend or relative, when all that is really required, or even beneficial to them (usually), is our presence.
Silence is underrated. People go through their day constantly accompanied by noise. Usually, the only substantial moments of pure silence that we get are at night when we go to bed, and even then, many people turn on music or fans, because the fact is, silence makes people uncomfortable. There is the occurrence of "awkward silences," when everyone wishes that something was being said, but no one has anything to say. Instead of simply enjoying the silence and coexisting with one another, people tend to look around uneasily and usually break into an awkward laugh, followed by the comment "Awkward silence." Many people's idea of relaxing is sitting down in front of the TV or listening to music. People walk around with ipods playing music for them every second of the day. Our culture does not appreciate silence. I admit, I am a member of the guilty party. I often desire conversation, even if it is worthless conversation, simply so that things don't feel awkward. However, the truth is that silence is therapeutic. It allows your mind to wander, to unwind. Silence can be very relaxing and energizing. I would suggest seeking it out every now and then.