09/07/2025
THE POWER OF SILENCE 🤫
There is a fable that says, "Don’t argue with donkeys!"
One day, a donkey approached a tiger and said,
“The grass is blue.”
The tiger, puzzled, replied,
“No, the grass is green.”
A heated argument broke out. Frustrated, they decided to take the matter to the king of the jungle—the lion—for arbitration.
As they approached the lion's throne, the donkey hurriedly spoke first, shouting,
“Your Highness, isn’t it true that the grass is blue?”
The lion, observing the situation calmly, replied,
“Yes, the grass is blue.”
Delighted, the donkey continued,
“The tiger disagrees with me, contradicts me, and annoys me. Please punish him!”
The lion declared,
“The tiger will be punished with five years of silence.”
The donkey, overjoyed, pranced away, loudly repeating,
“The grass is blue! The grass is blue!”
The tiger, accepting his punishment, turned to the lion and asked,
“Your Majesty, why have you punished me? After all, the grass is green.”
The lion responded,
“Indeed, the grass is green.”
Confused, the tiger asked further,
“Then why am I being punished?”
The lion sighed and explained,
“Your punishment has nothing to do with whether the grass is blue or green. It is because a wise and intelligent creature like you should never waste time arguing with a donkey—and worse, bring such a trivial matter before me.”
Moral of the Story:
The greatest waste of time is arguing with those who are not interested in truth but only in proving themselves right. Wise individuals do not engage in meaningless debates with those who do not seek understanding.
The scripture, Ecclesiastes, is Solomon’s reflection on his life experiences. He learned that true happiness is not found in proving how wealthy, powerful, or wise you are. He also expressed regret, saying that those experiences are meaningless without God.
Reflection from the scripture:
1. Silence promotes peace
Proverbs 17:28 (NIV) says,
“Even fools are thought wise if they keep silent, and discerning if they hold their tongues.”
Bad arguments cause delays in our work, growth, and relationships. Sometimes, we have many things to do, but because of needless quarrels, we get delayed.
Speaking has its proper time and place, and we must be sensitive to the right timing and situation.
2. Silence promotes listening
James 1:19 says,
“My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry.”
Sometimes, people just want to be heard. They want someone to listen to their noise. Instead of reacting with harsh words, it’s better to listen. By doing so, we can become a source of healing for someone who is making noise.
Sometimes, people just want someone to listen because no one else is listening to them in their home.
If you’ve seen a sound mixer, its purpose is to refine and improve the quality of sound. Not all our life experiences are pleasant; sometimes they are painful and difficult.
But just like a mixer, we can be an instrument to help change the atmosphere for someone who needs tuning in their life. We do this by embracing and promoting the power of silence.
-Howelben
