The Sound of Silence
“Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it. Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil, and immediately it sprang up, since it had no depth of soil. And when the sun rose, it was scorched, and since it had no root, it withered away. Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain. And other seeds fell into good soil and produced grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.” Mark 4:3-8
Comfortable aptly describes my attitude as I read the parable of the seeds. I have heard, read, taught, thought, pondered this parable too many times to count. The first time I read the words, they were mind blowing, convicting, uncomfortable.
The farmer sows seed, sprinkling it all around. The parable describes the seed falling in four different places, and, depending on the soil and root, growth happens or not. The seed represents the word of God, and the soil represents four different types of people hearing the word. The first time I read the parable, I dug in and tried to figure out what type of soil I was.
Was I one who hears the word and it immediately leaves? Sure, I have been there many times. Or, was I like the stony ground where I hear the word with joy, then it quickly dissipates when trouble or persecution arises because the ground was not fertile? I have been here as well. Was I like the ground among thorns, where “the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desire for things choke the word?” Ouch. Getting hotter. Or, finally, was I like those who hear it, accept it, and share it producing much fruit, leaving a legacy?
But, now, I find myself reading the parable for the hundredth time. I glance over it. I skim through it, already knowing the words by heart. I am comfortable doing this, as “I got it.” My heart is numb to the words, because, frankly, I proudly feel that I have worked my way through the four stages, and I know the truth. I am comfortable.
The truth is that I find myself in each of the four stages, constantly. It is a never-ending battle. Sometimes, I find myself flippantly praying, just saying words. Sometimes, I casually read the Bible, with the words on the page bouncing off of my soul. Other times the world seems so much against what I am reading that it isn’t worth the confrontation, the awaiting ridicule, the fight. Or, sometimes, my schedule, the perceived need for wealth, material possessions, cloud my receiving of the word. Guilty as charged for being in each of the four different types of soil, weekly, sometimes daily. If I stop to consider my life, I am regularly comfortable.
I had a friend once that was in one of those “Simon & Garfunkel” stages. He was listening to the music, digging the lyrics, and pondering the poetic writings of the band. He had found some deep stuff in the song The Sound of Silence that he was dropping on me, and he recited the line “people hearing without listening.” My friend pondered how this could happen. What could be going on where someone hears without listening?
Now, I love that song and band. To me, the song is all about going through the motions in life without being impacted by your surroundings. Garfunkel described the song as “the inability of people to communicate with each other, not particularly intentionally but especially emotionally, so what you see around you are people unable to love each other.”
The Sound of Silence is about being comfortably numb to society. In fact, the lyrics and the subject has originated in the Bible.
He said, “Go and tell this people: “‘Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving.’ Make the heart of this people calloused; make their ears dull and close their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.” Isaiah 6:9-10
Simon & Garfunkel nailed what I feel sometimes as I read the Bible, go through life, see injustice, see all that is wrong in the world. If I am truthful with myself, I hear a “sound of silence.” It doesn’t impact me as it should. I have become comfortable, and I must fight it daily.
We are each leaving a legacy. If we are comfortable, casual to the word of God and the love of people, our legacy will burn out quickly. Our legacy will not matter. However, if our soil is good, we’ll produce fruit that will impact lives forever. Good fruit that lasts forever is nonexistent without the word of God at the core
Share the word with your family, your kids, your fiends, with the world. Sometimes, it will fall on good soil, fruit will rise, and many will be impacted.
Impact others. Live generously.
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