I remember once sitting with the parents of a four-year-old who had tragically died. A bright and bubbly little boy he had complained one day of a headache and within 48 hours had died from viral meningitis. It was a catastrophe and there were no words to say. We sat for a while in silence with grief filling the room. Sometimes silence speaks the loudest.
It’s now two years since the catastrophe of Hamas’ attack into Israel which led to the catastrophe that has unfolded since. On all sides we have witnessed the palpable grief and heartbreak of those who have been torn from loved ones. Many words have been said and many more will be spoken in the days to come. But perhaps today might be a moment to be silent. To weep alongside with those who grieve.
Jesus once stood at the grave of his friend Lazarus. Two sisters were heartbroken at the sudden loss of a dear brother. Jesus wept alongside them. He had already spoken to them of the hope that he could bring and the miracle of resurrection and new life. But in that moment by the grave there were no words because sometimes silence speaks the loudest.
