“There comes a time when silence becomes betrayal”. This quote from Dr. King is powerful. It speaks to, well speaking up. I do not like conflict and confrontation. I have had to deal with it in therapy sessions so many times. No, not clients angry at me, clients having to confront things within themselves. It is painful to watch and even more painful to lead a client to where they need to go inside themselves that is filled with such conflict.
I have become skilled at it over time, though mostly by necessity. I was often the person in the agency that got all of the referrals for angry persons. I do not enjoy the confrontation, but I am good at helping to resolve it. As I have moved deeper and deeper into contemplative life, there are just somethings I cannot let pass.
It often comes up when I might express an alternative vision or explanation of a situation. Whatever someone believes is their choice. I confront these beliefs when they are expressed as the only way or the best way to see things. This is usually said in fear and/or defensiveness. I have encountered many who simply cannot let other viewpoints into their lives.
When your words or beliefs hurt others, I cannot remain silent. You see what we often miss is that the betrayal Dr. King refers to is twofold. If I allow others to make what are called micro-aggressions toward another race or religion, that will eventually lead to those aggressions changing from micro to macro and I have betrayed those groups. But worse than that, I have betrayed myself! I say I stand for Christ in this world but when I remain silent and see what goes on around me, I betray the very life I claim to follow.
It is important to take inventory regularly. What are you being silent about that is allowing others to be hurt? It is often at church that this happens but it is also in the politics of this society that it happens as well. What I know for sure is that Jesus did not remain silent. His speaking truth got him crucified. And maybe that is why we remain silent, we fear the same outcome.
It is a courageous thing to speak up. It is a necessary thing to speak up. It is betrayal when we remain silent and a single one of “the least of these My children” is hurt. Lives that belong to God that go unfed, unclothed, unvisited and ignored. Let’s strive, this day, to speak up, to not be silent and to no longer betray those who so deeply need love.
TMM