Zechariah is no longer mute. His season of enforced
silence provided a time of spiritual deepening in which
he became aware of God’s activity in his midst. “Filled
with the Holy Spirit,” he speaks aloud a prophecy about
his son, John. The prophecy begins by proclaiming God as
the source of all that has made the present moment of joy
possible and who secures the people’s future with “knowledge
of salvation.” Zechariah remembers God’s mighty
acts: God redeemed the people, raised up a mighty savior,
spoke through the holy prophets, saved the people from
their enemies and from any harm. Remembering the past
is a spiritual act that establishes the meaning of the current
relationship with God. Remembering the past brings forth
the basis of future hope.
Zechariah, as God’s messenger, is a time traveler. To
guide and reassure his generation, he enters the past through
remembering and the future through prophetic envisioning.
In hearing his message, we travel into sacred history,
and we travel forward to a future that is intended for us. In
this future we serve God freely, without intimidation and
oppression—a future in which we are fully capable of living
“in holiness and righteousness.” How can we prepare
to discern and embrace this future? Perhaps contemplative
listening to God’s messengers in a personal season of silence
will deepen your spiritual vision and guide your feet “into
the way of peace.”
By Luther E. Smith Jr. from The Upper Room: 60 Days of Prayer for General Conference 2016