WHEN LINDA AND I TAKE LONG ROAD TRIPS TOGETHER we are very comfortable with long periods of silence. No radio, no CD player, just the sound of the road rushing by under the tires. It is a time to let our thoughts run from one point to the other, and then, when the time is right, we express those thoughts to each other. The whole process is something we enjoy, and even look forward to when we travel. Yes, we are comfortable with silence.

One of the things that make these periods of silence bearable is knowing that we can enter into conversation whenever we like. We can interrupt the silence and that’s OK.

But what if we couldn’t? What if the silence was unbreakable? Then the peace would become a prison. It’s a prison that Israel found itself in the period of time that came to be known as the “intertestamental period.” That period of time between the ending of the Old Testament record and the beginning of the New. It wasn’t just a period of silence while driving between King City and Paso Robles, it was a span of time covering four hundred years. Now that’s silence.

During those four hundred years no prophet spoke, no epiphany was given, no bush ignited or donkey spoke. It was God incommunicado. Lots of prayers going up, but no answer in return. Some went after other gods, some remained faithful, but even after four hundred years and scores of generations, even the faithful began to wonder, “will the silence last forever?”

But in the fullness of time God spoke.

The Word became flesh.