Faith Works 2-7-2025

Faith Works 2-7-2025
Jeff Gill

What is a moment of silence
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In a variety of settings, asking for "a moment of silence" is a frequent response to a recent tragedy, or an occasion of loss.

These can be quite meaningful, especially in a public forum like a football stadium or hockey arena, or even a press conference briefing room, when the usual background noise and turmoil all pause, and in the stillness, a time for reflection.

Obviously one big reason for the popularity of "a moment of silence" is that it crosses ecumenical and even interfaith boundaries very easily. To say simply "let us pray" infers a level of personal belief not always shared in a room, let alone an auditorium, and the elements of bowed heads or uplifting hands, eyes open or closed, all are variations which can leave some out while including others in.

Just a personal observation: there's a "civil religion" set of norms I see at work in how people generally respond to "let us have a moment of silence." Heads bend, but rarely bow; eyes may or may not close while hands are usually folded or at least kept still.

The challenge for any person in charge of leading "a moment of silence" is . . . how long. What's the proper duration of a moment, when silent? I've heard them where the pause barely was an intake of breath before a concluding "thank you" (the more common ending than "Amen," in keeping with the nonsectarian aim). Seconds long seems too short; you can have a moment of silence go too long as well, or so I'd suggest. Thirty seconds is fairly lengthy, actually, and anyone asking for a minute of silence might well be surprised by how long a minute feels in a room full of people trying to stay still and not make noise by rustling paper or creaking their chair.

You could say it's a bit of an empty gesture, but honestly I think moments of silence can be quite effective, especially if the stage is set — you don't just spring it on people without warning — and the duration is long enough for emphasis. They allow those who believe in prayer to compose themselves, their thoughts, even the words silently shared in prayer to God, however understood. For those who claim no religious orientation, they are an offering of respect without forcing a particular means of showing it.

In a world with so much motion, so much activity, and the dear Lord knows so much meaningless sound and fury signifying nothing, to stop the background music loop, to ask people to stand still just a moment, and to allow the silence to last long enough to become real: that is a form of respect which we can all recognize.

My Catholic friends might say a "Hail Mary" during a moment of silence; the Lord's Prayer isn't short enough to fit into most silent tributes, but the Jesus Prayer is. "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner." Other faiths have short prayers of their own which fill the space. Some might offer up a silent visualization of the person or people lost, or of the situation in question.

Where I've heard concerns about moments of silence has been when people express their own personal frustration that they can't or don't keep focused on the reason why there's a silence. As a pastor, I like to find ways to work some periods of silence into worship, but I've learned that this isn't always popular (or exciting — see last week's column).

Blaise Pascal some centuries ago said "All of humanity's problems stem from man's inability to sit quietly in a room alone." Our ability to stay focused through a moment of silence might be a corollary to that observation.


Jeff Gill is a writer, storyteller, and preacher in central Ohio; he likes going on a silent retreat every year. Tell him you don't believe it at knapsack77@gmail.com, or follow @Knapsack77 on Threads or Bluesky.