Member-only story
Speaking up and being heard
on the woman who Jesus told to “go away” and the man that he told to “be quiet”
About twice a week has been my habit for a while of writing and publishing, of putting fingers to keyboard, of reflecting on sacred texts, on life, on my work as a clinician and spiritual director. But for some reason that I have not yet discerned, I have felt quiet.
And then I encountered the lectionary texts for this week.
It was there, that I found words from James about how “faith without works is dead” and about not showing partiality to those with wealth over those who do not. And there were also these stories from the gospel reading about two people on the margins of their society: one who was a woman who was not allowed to speak or be heard, even though she had a strong voice; the other person that Jesus encounters is a man who physically could not hear or speak.
For this man, there was nothing but quiet.
Imagine your life if there was no sound. Imagine your life if there was no sight. Imagine your life without some of the things that you now enjoy, that you may take for granted at times, those things that add to your life. Imagine your life if you were so very different from everyone around you.
