Zechariah and Elizabeth

I love the season of Advent and the stories that are a part of the unfolding narrative. The season beckons us to wait and watch for all the ways the Christ Child is birthed within and around us. I am particularly drawn to the stories of Zechariah and Elizabeth. They stand at the threshold, ushering in and pointing to the voice of God’s broken silence.

These pivotal characters have become spiritual companions to me, guides who help me listen deeply to my life, empowering me to explore a deeper relationship with the Holy and how to be human.

During this Advent time, I notice how Zechariah and Elizabeth’s lives were shaped to exemplify how God meets us in silence and solitude. They can teach and companion us in these powerful practices, even today.

Zechariah was put into an imposed silence as he went mute for at least nine months because he failed to believe the angel. During that time, God re-shaped Zechariah’s mind and heart by unsettling, disturbing, challenging, and pushing Zechariah’s faith regarding who God was, God’s movement and activity in the world, and Zechariah himself.

I am surprised that Zechariah’s silence stands out to me because silence has been such a part of my life since I was a child. I grew up in the Land of 10,000 Lakes and snowy, snowy winters. Each year, the winter landscape turned into a whitened world. I remember how stillness settled on the earth and a quietness companioned the snow, ushering in a reverent, hushed silence. Within the magic of the snow, silence became my first spiritual teacher. Over the years, silence has taught me about hurry and living an unhurried life. Silence has power and is my armor against the endless foolish chatter and words used to confuse and divide friendships, families, and people. It is within the hushed reverence of silence that the noise, chaos, and clutter of my
thoughts, emotions, and distractions of life are burned away, and I gain perspective on what is important and meaningful as they are not always visible; silence moves me beyond what is immediately apparent, having a generative power that speaks louder than words. Silence is my wise and faithful teacher about Love, others, myself, and the world. She teaches me to listen intently. Silence has a rich and deep strength, and I have bound her to my heart. What more could there be?

As I sit with Zechariah’s story, I notice his lack of capacity to hear God’s voice. There was no room in his heart to receive Gabriel’s words of prophecy and promise. I can only speculate as to what his heart was full of–anger, bitterness, despair, self-justification, a hefty dose of self-righteousness, or a combination of any or all of these. God “invited” Zechariah into nine months of silence—time and space for the work of silence to happen. Silence re-tunneled, re-drew, and reshaped Zechariah’s vision of God and self. Silence melted away the hard and brittle spaces in Zechariah’s heart, making room to hear and receive God’s voice of prophecy and promise.

Silence makes room to hear and receive the voice of God.

What might it look like for you to create places of silence to hear and receive God’s words?

Contrasted to Zechariah, Elizabeth chose to cloister herself in seclusion. God became a womb for her as she became a womb for John. A space for the gestating and dependence of new growth to be protected and hidden. A place for the seed to grow and be nourished within her in the same way she found a place to grow and be nourished in the womb of God. God tenderly cared for her as she tenderly cared for John during his most fragile first months of development. 

Elizabeth’s response to her miraculous pregnancy was, “see what the Lord has done for me.” In her pregnancy, she experienced God’s personal love and divine gaze for her as God’s beloved child. Her solitude created a space for her to commune with Creator in loving union. God gently and lovingly helped Elizabeth let go of years of shame and humiliation of her barren state to receive something new. God showed her a picture of who she was rather than who others said she was. Solitude provided a place for Elizabeth to attach to God and unfold into God’s unique identity for her. Elizabeth received her true name in the safe cloister of God’s love, giving her a deeper capacity to be fully present to God and her unique self.

Solitude makes room to grow into and become more fully aware of one’s true self.

What places in you need to be nourished and cared for by the womb of solitude?

One Small Practice to Try:

Take three slow, deep breaths, focusing only on the Divine energy, the Divine Breath that moves through your body with each inhale and exhale. This will create a space for silence and solitude to be held within your heart and body. Take this inner silence and solitude with you into your conversations, relationships, and work. It may be helpful to set an alarm on your phone for 9 am, noon, and 5 pm as a reminder to engage in this small practice of silence and solitude.