“It’s never too early to shut up.”

This is some of the best advice ever given. It is some of the most ignored advice of our age. How much more peaceful would our world be if we learned to hold our tongues?

This is especially true in moments of suffering. It is unwise, and possibly unkind, to compare pain. When a person is deeply grieved or wounded, there are almost no helpful words of comparison. 

When encountering those who suffer, sit or kneel. Silence is golden. Restrict your words to greeting and parting expressions like, “I am so sorry” and “I love you.”

Grief and loss make time stand still. Let that be a guide for your posture and speech. 

Job’s friends served him well when “they sat on the ground with him.” They wounded him more deeply when they tried to solve his problems by telling him what he did wrong.

More silent presence, please. 

As dogs learn tricks by watching someone closely and mirroring what they do, let us learn how to serve the hurting by mirroring their bearing. 

A good friend doesn’t have to say something. A good friend knows peaceful presence speaks more loudly and lovingly than well-honed platitudes. 

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I will practice the presence of peaceful silence.

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Our Father, teach me how to sit in respectful silence. Train me to hold my tongue. Empower me to provide peaceful presence. Amen.