Wednesday, August 06, 2008

Uncharacteristically Quiet

I've been getting the clearing of throats and meaningful looks from the blog fans. They all say the same thing, without saying it. "You are uncharacteristically quiet. Shouldn't the blog have more information. More about the Tennessee churches... more about the UU response... something, more?"

As my mama likes to say,

In a word - No.

Talk fills the void. Talk seems like we have solved something. Talk makes us feel better.

I'm not ready to feel better. I want to but it is not time. I'm still thinking, questioning, listening. And I had to talk way too much last week before I felt ready. Yes, I found words. Yes, the words found meaning in my mind and in the minds of some of those who heard them. It doesn't make me want to say more.

After the information came in, after you had called the ones you loved and broke the news or commiserated, did you tire of words as I did? Did you want to answer the questions from people who had seen the news and knew you are UU? Did you want to not have to explain the inexplicable to your children?

The breaking point for me was a reporter with whom I could tell there would be some communication issues.

"What do you want our readers to know, Reverend?"

I had nothing to say to that. My job is not to inform their readers about how we are feeling. There is no benefit in that to my congregation in a hard time. And it could hinder the healing in Tennessee. There had been other articles. Too much information was already available.

At that point, I didn't know what I wanted for any of us except a cosmic rewind and erase button that could change the past. Or a magic protector shield in preparation for the ugly opinions I knew were to come out in the media/press. Maybe ear plugs to block out the painful, hateful, thoughtless, and bigoted?

Quiet. We could use some quiet.

That's what I should have said.

Quiet. Just for awhile.

1 comment:

Lea Setegn said...

Of course, now I want to know who the reporter was and go beat him/her up for you. :)