The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him.
It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.
It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth.
Let him sit alone in silence when it is laid on him.
In August of 1952, a 26-year-old pianist sat at a keyboard in Woodstock, Vermont. He adjusted his sheet music, set a timer, and closed the lid to the keys. The audience sat in stunned silence as rain peppered the roof with staccato notes, replacing the melody people expected. Twice the pianist opened and closed the keyboard. After four minutes and 33 seconds, he rose and took his bow.
The first performance of John Cage's composition now known simply as 4'33", was not well received by its original audience, but has become one of the most important works of the Avant-Garde movement. It has been performed all over the world by artists of every genre. I was part of a choral presentation several years ago with the Georgia Symphony Orchestra.
Cage was fascinated by the rhythms of silence because there is no silence in this world. Even in complete isolation, there is the sound of a beating heart. His piece, 4'33" became an opportunity to live quietly for four and a half minutes, focused on the ambient sounds of living: breathing, heartbeats, rain, a cough or sneeze, the rustle of papers, or the squeak of chairs as people move. By silencing the expected, an audience learns to hear what is happening beneath the surface of reality.
Our world is loud. Cage reacted to the introduction of MUZAK by amplifying silence. We cannot work without some kind of background noise. Televisions no longer shut down their signals at midnight, and radio stations broadcast all night. The internet beckons 24/7. And we wonder why we cannot hear the voice of God.
Jeremiah lamented the afflictions of his people but understood that the love, grace, and mercy of God would never fail and would never end. What the people needed to do was wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord. And so do we. The Lord is good to those who wait for him, even in the liminal spaces of life, when the past and future feel distant.
Waiting quietly is hard, especially in a culture that values activity. But unless we stop moving, stop doing, and above all, stop talking, how can we expect to hear the still, small voice that whispers to us, "What are you doing here?" (1 Kings 19:11-13)? When we do hear that voice, we must respond, "I am waiting in silent expectation for your word so that I might obey for your glory." Elijah was told to find Elisha. Martha was advised to follow Mary's example of listening. Noah built an ark. Miriam watched over baby Moses. Habakkuk watched. Sometimes the greatest evidence of faith comes through silence. And often, God's voice comes to us when we stop making noise.
We all need to stop trying to speak for God in our activities and words. We need to be still and know (Psalm 46:10). We must learn to wait in silence for God's hope to be revealed (Psalm 62:5). The God of our salvation is not slow to keep his promises, nor will he ever forget us, even when we feel lost in the in-between (Micah 7, Psalm 130, Isaiah 30, James 5, 1 Thessalonians 1, Hebrews 11, Romans 8). Faith in God's grace shows up when we wait quietly, calling to mind the hope we have in the love of God. Even when we feel like we are missing the music, we must listen to the rain on the roof.
Resources:
https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/59902/101-masterpieces-john-cages-433
https://johncage.org/autobiographical_statement.html
https://www.npr.org/2000/05/08/1073885/4-33
https://www.researchgate.net/figure/The-Score-of-John-Cages-433_fig1_304261080
Stephanie, thank you for writing this very poignant article...a much needed reminder especially in these times. Also, your scripture references have been on my mind of late as well. God is speaking, may we be still and listen...be still and know. Amen!