When the Silence is Empty (or Full)
And the whole multitude of people were praying outside at the hour of incense. And there appeared to [Zechariah] an angel of the Lord, standing on the right side of the altar of incense. And Zechariah was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him. …. And Zechariah said to the angel, “How shall I know this?” Luke 1:10-12, 18
Outside the temple, a crowd is praying together, a cacophony of noise rising to God. Hear us, hear us, hear us. Inside, that noise is muffled, becoming distant as Zechariah journeys deeper into the temple, toward the holy place of God. Where is God? Zechariah might have been wondering. Was he outside in the noise; was he inside in the hush; was he anywhere at all?
God’s silence had broken something in Zechariah—the upright, childless priest. He had served God his whole life, upheld the way of his religion and his people. Yet there had been years of unanswered prayers, unanswered questions, tension in his home and his community. Where was God? Somewhere along the way, the silence had become empty for Zechariah. Perhaps prayer had become empty, too—no longer a conversation, but a hollow, one-sided experience. And when it became empty, something in Zechariah’s faith broke. The silence didn’t contain hope, or possibility anymore. It was barren.
If you’ve ever dealt with unanswered prayer, with an aching disappointment, you can imagine that Zechariah may have had doubts, frustrations, even anger at God that he had held on to for years, never expressing them out loud—until one day an angel tries to give him good news, and Zechariah lets fly.
Now? he says in disbelief. You want me to believe this now? His reaction hints that there was a conversation he could have had, should have had with God a long time ago. But one way or another, God has led him back into a dialogue. Hear me, Zechariah. Hear me, hear me, hear me.
In the nine months that follow, Zechariah, speechless, discovers a silence that’s full again. Full of questions, for sure. But full of possibility and promise in a way he hasn’t experienced in decades.
Have you been disappointed by an empty cradle, a heartbreaking loss, an unanswered prayer? It hurts. Even Jesus, grown and dying, cries out when God is silent.
Bring to mind an issue around which you have experienced God’s silence. Tell God that you don’t want the silence to break your faith, to ruin your relationship. Ask him not only to hear you—but that even if the issue remains unresolved, that he will fill the silence with his presence.
Song: “O Come O Come Emmanuel” – Holy City Hymns
This song is part of our Silent Nights playlist on Spotify.