I heard this story at a silence retreat: Four people went on a silence retreat. As the day faded, they decided to light a candle in the room, and meditate in stillness before retiring for the night.A sudden blowing of wind threatened to extinguish the candle. One person reacted instinctively: “O no, the candle is about to go out!”After a minute, the second person responded: “Quiet, please. We are supposed to meditate in silence.”After another minute, the third person chimed in: “Both of you have broken your vows of silence.”After a few more minutes, the fourth person spoke with a tinge of self-glory: “Ha, ha, ha. . .I am the only one who has remained silent.”The first person spoke due to distraction, the second tried to make sure the others were following the rules, the third was angry towards the first two, and the fourth wallowed in pride.It is easy and natural to pay attention to others’ mistakes. If only we made sure we are doing the right thing, maybe we’ll sit less in judgment of others, and then, the right words will come out of us with a healthy attitude and in the right way.The Holy Bible offers excellent advice on this matter: My dear friends, you should be quick to listen, and slow to speak, and slower to get angry. (James 1:19)-
-Jeba Moses
