![]() And the miraculous and remarkable part of all of it is that we needn't do much more than open our mouths.įor those with something to say, I pray for the grace and courage to say it, so that the world in waiting may find its redemption. It's a gift to be able to tell it, to proclaim what God has done and is doing. We tell it, speak it, say it so that God's will can be done on earth as it is in heaven. What God has done and what we need to do. I couldnt help myself/she couldnt help herself etc meaning, definition, what is I couldnt help myself/she couldnt help herself etc: to be unable to stop. As Edmund Burke once said, "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." An equally famous quote from Zora Neale Hurston reads, "If you are silent about your pain, they'll kill you and say you enjoyed it." It's often when we're silent that evil persists. It is good and necessary, but at times it can be dangerous. We speak so that people and systems may be redeemed. That's the point of testimony, sharing, and storytelling. We have to tell somebody, because in telling somebody, we then see that somebody turn to God and away from something else. None of it happens in a vacuum or for no reason. I think also about testimony services in the black church and those souls who have so much to get off of their chests. And in that regard, I'm reminded of the affinity those of us who preach share with him. He is that loudmouth for the Lord, the one who can't shut up for his own good. His is the voice of which Isaiah speaks, preparing the way for the Lord, making straight the path. In the third chapter, we are dropped into the middle of the baptizer's ministry as he is proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. Equally unable to remain silent was his son. After seeing a divine promise kept and fulfilled before his eyes, Zechariah, whose mouth was opened anew, just couldn't keep it to himself. There's a song common in the black church tradition that says, "I said I wasn't gonna tell nobody, but I couldn't keep it to myself!" It speaks of the goodness of God and how impossible it is to keep such goodness a secret, never sharing it with anyone. We have the compelling story of how his father, Zechariah, heard he'd soon be a daddy, disbelieved that revelation, and spent the entire pregnancy unable to speak.&īut when he is finally able to speak, he speaks! His prophecy over his son's life-"And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, to give knowledge of salvation to his people by the forgiveness of their sins"-is among the most poetic and powerful portions of Luke's Gospel. Luke's Gospel gives us some wondrous glimpses into the life of John the Baptist. For full-text access to all articles, subscribe to the Century. To receive these posts by e-mail each Monday, sign up.įor more commentary on this week's readings, see the Reflections on the Lectionary page, which includes Anderson's current Living by the Word column as well as past magazine and online-only content.
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