THE LONG DARK NIGHT GALLERY OF THE SOUL #008: SHHHH
One fun sketching exercise I do every now and then is to check out some movie history books from the library and see what catches my eye. One of the things that becomes obvious is how much more expressive actors' body language were in old silent films. I mean, they had to be, right? Robbed of their voice, they had to communicate their character and emotions in other ways.
That kind of reminds me of one of the most famous things St. Francis NEVER said, "Preach the Gospel at all times. Use words if necessary." Oh, he did write in the Rules of the Friars Minor that his Brothers living among the Muslims should consider refraining from being overly aggressive in their preaching, instead using the simple act of practicing their faith to get their neighbors interested in asking why they act in such a manner. But that's not the same thing as saying never evangelize. I mean, when one of the names for your God is "The Word", it's likely you'll use words at some point.
Still, there are many times being a silent actor is the way to go. If your neighbor is sick, naked, and starving, you don't hit them over the head with a sermon. You do the work Jesus told you to, letting your actions carry the meaning. The words will come later.
I HAVE SOME NOTES: More meandering musings on my daily Scripture readings.
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