Experiences can be notoriously difficult to describe, especially those which have most value and significance for us, as anyone who has ever been lost for words can testify. This must be particularly true of our most intense personal relationships, as we encounter another in the context of love, trust and commitment. We may experience similar feelings of speechlessness when we encounter beauty and truth in nature, literature, art or music. In all of these experiences and especially if the meeting with the ‘other’ is with God we can be acutely aware of what is happening to us and yet unable to adequately express what we feel about it. It is no surprise that our deepest feelings and emotions can best be expressed by physical contact, through art and within the religious sphere in the sacraments.

The Scriptures are rich with testimonies of meetings with God. We too can feel touched by the divine, but find it difficult to express either feeling or meaning in words other than those offered in the Old and New Testaments and the writings of the saints. An encounter with God can leave us awestruck and speechless. This is what happened to Job after his downfall and great discourses with his four friends. The friends had failed to comfort Job so he challenged God to explain his position. God’s reply can be found in Job 38-41. Afterwards Job is almost silent and can make no reply other than to recognise God’s greatness.

‘I knew of thee then only by report,

but now I see thee with my own eyes.

Therefore I melt away;

I repent in dust and ashes.’ (Job 42:5-6)

In the New Testament we find a different response to God’s greatness from St. Paul. In his letter to the Romans Paul uses a great many words to express a number of deep and complicated ideas about God and the salvation he has wrought through Jesus Christ. For example chapter 11 is a discussion of God’s mercy and the difficult issue of the fate of Israel, but even so from verse 33 the mood changes and St. Paul collapses into worship.

‘O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God!

How unsearchable are his judgements,

and his ways past finding out!’ (Romans 11:33)

St. Paul is not stuck for words here, but both his words and theology are directed into praise, the response of redeemed humanity lifted up in Christ.

The same response is found in Revelation 5 to the announcement of God’s plan of redemption through the work of the Lamb. Words are in plentiful supply in this passage too as is theological comment, but both are important not for their own sakes, but as a vehicle for worship.

In all three passages mentioned above the response is appropriate to a meeting with the divine whether that response be silence, repentance or praise. All these responses will be valid at different times for the Christian who will always try to maintain a balance between speech and silence. As the preacher wrote, there is a time for both (Ecclesiastes 3:7), not least in our relationship with God.

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