Silence!

A close personal friend challenged a group of men this weekend with a simple exhortation when leading small group ministries: "do not fear the silence".
Upon reflection this is a real challenge. I've noticed often when we speak about our feelings, ideas, innermost thoughts we do so as if everyone were interested in them; and after bearing our souls how often do we really feel understood? We can speak tons about God, who God is and otherwise everything religious, but how often does it bring us or anyone else real insight? Have you ever noticed that words often leave you with a sense of inner defeat? So many words can create a sense of numbness and a feeling of being bogged down in a deep muddy hole, or wore out as after completing a marathon. There is wisdom in silence.

"When the door of the steam bath is continually left open, the heat inside rapidly escapes through it; likewise the soul, in its desire to say many things dissipates its remembrance of God through the door of speech, even though everything it says may be good. Thereafter, the intellect, though lacking appropriate ideas, pours out a welter of confused thoughts to anyone it meets, as it no longer has the Holy Spirit to keep its understanding free from fantasy. Ideas of value always shun verbosity, being foreign to confusion and fantasy. Timely silence, then, is precious, for it is nothing less than the mother of the wisest thoughts."
--Diadochus of Photiki