We are a gregarious society. We love and value talk. Furthermore, many of us come from a culture with a legacy of storytelling. Let's face it, we tend to put the spotlight on those with the gift of gab. They tend to be the center of attention, the life of the party. If they happen to be comedians, all the better.
As a quiet child, there was considerable pressure put on me to be "more outgoing." I was never shy. I had no social fear, but I generally was conservative with my words. If I had something to say, I spoke. If I didn't I kept quiet. I loved to chat, but reserved this time for special friends. This respect for words was considered rather peculiar behavior in my local society. There was a great deal of pressure to be more talkative. So, I gave in.
Fast forward a couple of decades, and I am now trying to undue the bad habits that I had formed in order to adapt to what my society said it wanted me to be. Added to this is the awareness that as clergy, I am not as free as I once was in respect to my speech. Every word that I say may be weighed by my parishioners. Now, I do not only speak for myself, but I speak for the church.
St. Benedict in his rule teaches that silence should be the default. In fact, he says that sometimes even good thoughts should be left unsaid. He then says that speech for the purpose of getting a cheap laugh should be avoided at all costs.
We practice silence not because we devalue speech, but because we respect it. We use it wisely. Like an expensive wine, we do not open it up for every meal. we save it for special uses. The result is that by saving it and savoring it, it is all the sweater.
