Silence in the presence of evil?

We talk, we talk, we talk…but we allow no time to listen, expend no energy to hear.

Donald Trump gets shot in his ear in an assassination attempt, and instantly words tumble from our mouths and leap off our keyboards. A candidate for president of the United States is nearly killed in the midst of a campaign, and millions blabber, blather, and bleat.

We do not—because we cannot and we dare not—sit silent even for a moment and let it sink in under our skin and into our psyches.

We simply cannot allow time for others to respond on their own to a terrifying event we’ve all witnessed. We must assure they come to the conclusions we’ve come to in our split second, conclusions based upon our political views, our beloved conspiracy theories, our personal desires for influence and power.

Some even make up and spread outlandish lies, knowing there is an unthinking multitude who will believe them.

Both parties call for toning down the rhetoric, claiming they want us to get along better. A lot of such talk is a tactic to silence “the other side” long enough for “my side” to be sure to get our word in. Clearly, it’s not right nor fair to name every contrary opinion a threat to public order, but there are no “rules of war” in this battle of words.

The older I get, the more certain I am that the Hebrew prophets got most things right. Amos, for example, spoke fearlessly against a corrupt king, judicial system, and society. But in Amos 5:10-13, he came to a conclusion that is good advice, not only for TV’s talking heads but for all of us…

They hate the one who reproves in the gate (where justice is dispensed),
   and they abhor the one who speaks the truth.
Therefore, because you trample on the poor
   and take from them levies of grain,
you have built houses of hewn stone,
   but you shall not live in them;
you have planted pleasant vineyards,
   but you shall not drink their wine.
For I know how many are your transgressions,
   and how great are your sins—
you who afflict the righteous, who take a bribe,
   and push aside the needy in the gate.
Therefore the prudent will keep silent in such a time;
   for it is an evil time.

In an evil time, we cannot be silent for ever. But a lot of us would do well to shut up for a few precious moments. It’s the wise thing to do.