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The Gospel mentions several points when it was demanded of the Lord to give an immediate answer, but He remained silent:
And when He was accused of the chief priests and elders, He answered nothing. Then said Pilate unto Him, Hearest thou not how many things they witness against Thee? And He answered him to never a word; insomuch that the governor marvelled greatly (Mt. 27:12-14).
This is an important example for us and a reminder that we don’t always have to speak up. But alas, it isn’t in fashion nowadays to remain silent; now the “public” demands that everyone speak endlessly and react, react, react—react to everything that this same “public” shows us, regardless of whether the events are important for us, giving no time to think about what’s happening. The most important thing is that everyone, just like in the recent past, should say the “right” things and slogans “with one voice.”
Everything would be fine, but when the faithful or even the clergy join this game, everything turns out quite sad.
We’re not primitive creatures who live by the principle of stimulus–response. The Lord didn’t just decide to give us reason. Be not hasty with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be swift to utter anything before God, says the Ecclesiast (Ecc. 5:1). But the “public” wants us to act not like humans, but as the simplest of creatures.
When we talk about the “public,” we don’t mean society as such. In our day, the “public” is something artificial that’s usually invoked to justify any action, usually quite unseemly.
But it’s not the “public” that’s our god, but the one true God, the Trinity—the God Who will demand an answer from us for every idle word (Mt. 12:36) at the end of time. Therefore, we mustn’t forget Whom we serve and mustn’t rush to react, but only after prayer and careful consideration should we speak, or even remain silent, if that would be more useful.
