This past week was one of deep sorrow at my church. As a church staff we mourned with a pastor as he grieved the passing of his child. As the news of this dear little ones passing swept through the office we were all overcome with emotion. We were deeply saddened at the loss and felt a weight of pain and confusion for our dear friend. Without speaking our ministry team came together. We cried, we hugged and then we prayed. We prayed simple prayers, but prayers of deep meaning and emotion. Then we sat. We simply sat for several hours. We sat together in silence, occasionally crying and occasionally speaking. We had truly cultivated a space of lament. As others walked by or entered the room they understood what we were doing without explanation, and they joined us.

As I sat there in silence prayerfully considering the deep pain and sadness hovering as a cloud over the room I was struck by something. I was struck by the profound wisdom of the space that had been created. I felt truly and deeply connected with the fellow mourners in the room. We were all silent, and yet we were all together. We knew what each other felt and we knew that we needed to feel that together. Our communion wasn’t found in words, but there was no question that it was found in Christ. It was honest, unforced lament be proclaimed in stone silence.

Then it hit me…so often I perceive wisdom as that which is spoken, but in this moment “wisdom” was silence.