When To Be Bold
Silence isn't always golden
Whether you agreed with his politics or not, there is one thing we can all agree on. Jesse Jackson wasn’t afraid to use his voice.
We lost Mr. Jackson this week, and I’ve seen many touching tributes written online. He was a giant in the civil rights movement, a politician and an ordained Baptist minister. A husband, father, and friend. He spent most of his life fighting for what he believed in, trying to make this world a more just and safer place for the marginalized. Some say he was too harsh, too brash, too liberal, too… black. But I have deep admiration for his fearlessness in the face of so much adversity.
Thank you for your work, Mr Jackson. The world is a better place because of you. May you rest in peace now.
I was reading in Acts 4 this week and admiring the boldness of Peter as he went up against the religious and political leaders of his day. I couldn’t help but think of Mr. Jackson and his boldness to speak out too. Truly, we are all called to be so bold, but most of us feel too afraid to speak up against the status quo. Or maybe we aren’t too afraid but are just too… cozy.
The truth is that many of us are benefiting from the status quo right now. Especially white conservative Christians. Too many evangelical leaders have locked arms with our current political administration because they have been promised protection from the “others.”
You know the “others”, right? They are the big bad immigrants coming into America to rape and kill us, POC trying to take all the white people’s jobs, LGBTQ+ people trying to turn all our children gay, Trans people trying to infiltrate all our girls’ sports and bathrooms, atheists trying to keep us from praying in schools, women choosing to kill their babies in their wombs, etc… I could go on and on, but you get the picture.
Oh, how fear works to manipulate those who are comfy.
Terrified of losing our status, our material things, our friends — even our church communities, we keep silent about injustices around us and those who need to be championed. We are pretty comfortable and we like it here.
Comfort is definitely a motivating factor for too many of us.
I saw this quote from Jen Hatmaker last week and it has lingered with me:
“Americans are allergic to discomfort, and we entertain a fantasy that more niceness and less resistance would create peace. If only these agitators would speak softer. If only these black men would comply. If only these protestors would stop filming. Then we would finally have the elusive “unity” everyone keeps harping on. The delusion suggests that resistance is the cause of political chaos and not its effect.
Hard truth: politeness and silence has never prevented violence, division, or injustice, but it has certainly enabled it.” — Jen Hatmaker1
She is so right! Silence has enabled far too many atrocities to occur all around us - both in history and even now. It pains me to watch people being stripped of their civil and human rights, families being ripped apart, and citizens being terrorized —all because our current administration wants to flex their power.
There is an old saying that says, “Words are silver, but silence is golden.” I get the general sentiment here, but I can’t unsee the damage done by so much silence lately. Silence from political and religious leaders who know better. Silence from influencers who don’t want to “rock the boat.” Silence from good people who have been convinced they don’t have a voice that matters. The silence is deafening, damaging, and quite frankly - violent.
To be fair, there are situations where I think it’s wise to stay silent.
When it’s time to listen: We all need to listen and learn so that when we speak, we can speak with an educated voice.
When we need to protect our energy. “Pick your battles” as my dad used to say. We don’t have to participate in every fight we are invited to. Save your energy for times when it can really matter.
When we need to protect our peace. If someone’s ears are closed, you are wasting your time and breath. Use discernment to know when and where your words can make a difference.
I had a beloved therapist for several years named Trish Sanders. She passed away in 2019, and I was heartbroken to lose her, as a therapist and later as a friend. At my last session with her, we were discussing my hesitation to speak up for myself (and for others) and why I was reluctant too many times to use my voice. Was I afraid of being wrong/sounding stupid? Was I afraid people wouldn’t like me? Was I afraid to lose work? (As a self-employed liberal musician in Nashville, my views probably wouldn’t be too popular in the mostly conservative country music business). It was all of those things and more. But Trish looked me in the eyes and said two words to me, “Be Bold.” And I wrote those words down on a piece of paper. They have stared at me every day in my mirror ever since.
It has taken me a long time to embrace those words, and truthfully, I’m still working on it. But the more I use my voice, the more comfortable I feel about it. And all of those things I worried about happening when I started speaking up? Well, they did indeed happen. I lost friends. I lost work. I made people mad. I have been wrong about some things. —- But I’m still here, and I’m ok, even with all of that. Because what I’ve gained is so much greater than what I’ve lost, or any embarrassment that came my way.
I’ve gained deeper relationships and more self-confidence. I’ve learned a lot about myself and gotten a clearer definition of my own moral codes. I’ve learned about history and government and cultural patterns. And the more I research and learn the truth about what’s happening in our world, our businesses, our schools, our churches and our homes, the more I’ve learned that championing issues I believe in is worth the fight. And I believe with every fiber of my being that God is pleased with me when I do.
One more thing. Using your voice looks different from person to person, situation to situation. We all have unique gifts, communities, and relationships in which to speak truth to power. Find your own way to make a difference and practice using your voice. It may not feel good at first. My voice still feels shaky at times, but it’s getting stronger. And yours will too. Because you aren’t alone. And the more you speak up, the more you will see that!
Let’s be bold together, friends. It’s the only way we can create the kind of world we want to live in. Silence will not get us there. Only being brave enough to speak out when we need to will do that. I’m ready. Are you?
Love ya’ll…. M
Thank you, Marcia. Once again, your words resonate deeply with me.
I understand the fear of being too vocal. Lately, I’ve pulled back some, because I’ve realized that when my voice turns into constant screaming, it can stop opening minds and start building walls instead. That’s never been my goal.
Many of my friends are MAGA—or at least support it, even if reluctantly—because they believe the alternative is worse. Most of them live in what amounts to a news desert or an echo chamber. And yet, a few have told me they appreciate my perspective, that it’s made them pause and think. That matters.
So I’ve come to accept that my words aren’t really meant for the most hardened voices. They’re for the ones who feel uneasy, who sense something isn’t right, but don’t yet see another path. If I can help create even a little space for reflection, then speaking up is still worth it.