Sometimes being silent and not reacting to words or actions that hurt us speaks volumes. Jesus showed us this time and time again. He didn’t respond in the manner anyone expected. He didn’t give the religious leaders the answers they wanted.

John 8:1-11 tells the story of the adulterous woman, who was dragged to the center of the crowd and publicly shamed. The religious leaders feigned that they wanted to give Him the opportunity to teach; instead, they had alternative motives and instead were looking to trap Jesus. Quoting from the Law of Moses, asking Jesus, “What did He say?”

Jesus did not speak; instead, he slowly lowered himself to the ground, kneeling there he traced His finger in the sand… remaining silent in the midst of their clamoring voices, in the heart of the chaos, not saying a word.

Then He stood, and standing before them, He said, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” Then he knelt down once again, and once again His finger traced in the sand. And there in the silence He created, one by one, they all left until it was just our Lord and the woman, standing there as he quietly knelt.

He stood and faced her. Then He spoke: “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” “No one, sir,” she said. “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”

There was a balance to what occurred that day; he didn’t excuse her wrongdoing, nor did He join the ones who chose to shame her. Instead, in his Christlike manner, He protected her dignity and chose to restore her future. These simple and quiet actions teach us that kindness is not just permissive; instead, it can be protective, and it can restore.

Jesus chose to write in the sand, even before speaking. He does not respond to the chaos. Instead, He pauses and reflects on the situation. There is wisdom in His pausing, teaching us that kindness can indeed be quiet.

Have you ever been in such a situation, where you felt exposed or misunderstood? Were you in such a place that you had to make the intentional choice to respond differently from a given crowd?

That crowd was loud. They bellowed out their accusations and demands. The shame of this one woman collectively hung over them. But Jesus did not respond; He knelt and refused to allow Himself to be dictated by their chaos. Writing in the sand, swaying the crowd, without them even knowing. He spoke the truth and allowed it to replace the shame that still hovered over them all.

He created stillness in the moment, teaching those present that silence is not passive; instead, it is intentional and grounded. It is strength that provides control. Jesus showed the crowd, by His actions, or lack thereof, that silence can be protection. Jesus shielded the woman from the chaos of the crowd. He chose to not react to their manipulations but chose silent discernment as he quietly traced in the sand.

As their accusations grew louder, the crowd demanding a response, Jesus did nothing; no matter how loud their complaints, He ignored their urgency and chaos as He knelt there in the dust, pausing. He did not allow them to provoke Him, showing wisdom. Teaching the crowd that silence is not the absence of power—it is the restraint of power.

Sometimes the most powerful response is not the quickest one. It is in silence that strength can be gathered and mercy can be found. In order to be more like Christ, we need to remember this moment from John and remember the value of the pause and the silence. Resting first in a given moment, finding the power of the pause, the strength in the silence, and the grace to guide us through a moment before we hastily respond.

Is there a noise or chaos in your life, something that is keeping you from kneeling beneath that chaos and taking the time to be still? Is there something you are not saying? Is there something that you may want to react to, but because of His love and grace, you don’t? Are you remaining still and quiet, trying to find a graceful way to respond?

Recently I had a situation that exploded in front of me, hurtful words out of nowhere, and from the most unexpected place. I was completely silent in the initial moment, simply not knowing what to say. Then I was passive with my responses, keeping them cordial and kind, not wanting to rock the boat. Not wanting to be hurtful. This only led to more internal chaos, as I felt like I was no longer able to trust. Eventually, I did have to speak my truth and come clean and be honest. It was like hitting them out of left field, because in this instance, I had been silent for too long.

It did teach me a valuable lesson, and I will remember it well as I move forward. Being silent is only good if it doesn’t shut you off from what matters most, in this case…for me, self-acceptance and right-mindedness. And like other past relationships in my life, this situation had me wearing an old mask again, a mask that silenced me unnecessarily.

What I have learned is it was OK to sit back and be silent for a bit. But like Jesus, we need to then stand up and speak the truth for all involved. Allowing His love, grace, and mercy to be what holds us up and takes us forward in our lives. I leave you with this:

May your silence feel complete.

May your words be quiet and gentle.

May you recognize His quiet authority in your life,

As you step out of the chaos into the warm and pleasant silence that only He provides.