When to speak and when to stay silent: Scripture has some advice
Jun. 25—During college I focused on the fields of sociology and psychology. I had been a math kid in high school, and started that direction in college, but never felt keen about a career in math. By junior year I knew I was called to pastoral ministry, so I figured that sociology and psychology would help me in my vocation. People are so fascinating and complex.
New to me in the arena of social psychology is something called the "Spiral of Silence." The concept is from a German scholar named Elisabeth Noelle-Neumann, that regards people's willingness to speak out on public matters. The theory is that a person's perception of public opinion largely determines whether he/she will say anything on a topic. That is: If you think the folks you are with agree with you, then you will join in, and if not, then you will be silent.
The practice then spirals into cultural shaping and mass communication and public discourse. It sometimes goes all the way to stifling any views that are seen as contrary to the acceptable norm. We get it that in certain places certain things cannot be said. Unless you are willing to be an outcast.
Now, you may be wondering what this has to do with Christianity. We all face decisions regularly about if God wants us to speak up or to hold our tongue; when to go along with majority opinion and when not. As you may know, the God of love sometimes encourages silence and listening, and other times we are commanded to not be silent.
In Proverbs, the book of wisdom, we are told advice like this: "A man of understanding remains silent," (Proverbs 11:12); St. James offers this counsel: "Everyone must be quick to listen, but slow to speak and slow to become angry," (James 1:19). Jesus, on trial, didn't waste his breath, but kept quiet. So, silence is sometimes golden.
Didn't your mother used to say, "If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all?"
In other places, the Good Book tells us we must not be silent; we must speak out. Esther had to save her people, and was told: "If you remain silent at such a time as this, you and your father's house will perish," (Esther 4:1). The spiral of silence must sometimes be broken. God would have us know that there is "a time to keep silence, and a time to speak," (Ecclesiastes 3:7).
I have no easy answer for that timing, but I urge you to pray and think and talk with other respected Christians about such matters. Words have power. Silence does too.
Chris Brekke is a retired pastor who served Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Rochester for 13 years and Trinity Lutheran in West Concord for 10. He and his wife live in Roseville, Minn., where he keeps busy with volunteering, church and family.
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