A sinful silence
Dear Friends,
Where was Adam, and what was he doing, while Eve was being tempted by the serpent? As far as Adam’s concerned, there’s an awkward absence and a painful silence between the final verse of Genesis 2 and verse 6 of chapter 3. Then suddenly he reappears, and we read that Eve “also gave some to her husband and he ate it.”
At the very least, shouldn’t he have said something then? Something like this, “No, no, no! What are you doing? Don’t do it! God said that when we eat of it we will surely die. You mustn’t do that.” But he says nothing, and he does nothing – apart from eating the fruit she gives him, the fruit God had told him not to eat. But perhaps he’s been there all along, watching the whole sorry episode, saying nothing and doing nothing until it’s too late – making his silence all the more sinful.
How often are we, likewise, guilty of a sinful silence? I know I am. I don’t want to upset people; I don’t want to interfere; I want to keep the peace. I tell myself, “Maybe this isn’t the right moment.” It’s not that we actively do or say anything wrong. We just do nothing, and say nothing, and meanwhile the most appalling sins are being contemplated, planned and perpetrated right in front of our eyes. It’s true, sometimes it is better to say nothing, and even to do nothing. But not always. The truth is that my silence isn’t always wise and godly, but often cowardly and sinful.
Chris Hobbs,
Vicar.