When You Do Not Know What to Say

Mark reports that Peter offered to build three shelters and then adds a plain explanation. He did not know what to say. They were terrified.

That is a lesson for ordinary weeks. Much of the harm done by words is done in moments like Peter's, when silence feels unbearable and something, anything, must be offered. We fill hospital rooms with advice. We answer grief with explanations. We respond to a colleague's bad news with a story about ourselves. The words are not malicious. They are what fear produces when it is given a mouth.

Scripture gives another way. James writes that everyone should be quick to listen and slow to speak. The Proverbs say that even a fool who keeps silent is counted wise. Peter would have done well on the mountain to stand still and watch. The Father, in effect, told him so.

This week, when a moment feels too big for you, try letting it be big. Say less. Stay present. The people in front of you will rarely remember what you said. They will remember that you did not leave.