The Problem with Silence - Abbie Hedden

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To be completely cheesy, does anyone remember Twenty One Pilots' song Car Radio? It addresses the problem with silence. If humanity is forced to sit and think with no input - no one talking, no music playing, no television blaring - then it will be forced to address itself. In the case of Rodrigues,
there is an underlying theme: silence from God. In the quiet moments, he has to ask himself if God is going to be silent forever. He wonders why there are such oppressions placed on the Christians in Japan. Even Jesus on the Cross asked "Why, God, why? Why have you forsaken me?" This burden of feeling alone when there is no audible response is an inevitable part of humanity. What I find interesting that is every time there is emotional/spiritual violence in Rodrigues's life, there are cicadas. I don't know if that's just a weird detail that has no significance to the story, but it's detailed in the heaviest moments of the story. Cicadas are specifically mentioned when Rodrigues is questioning God "Why?", and when he is originally brought for "cross-examination". On a slightly related note, think of the sea. When you go to the beach, there is the inevitable screech of seagulls, and the peaceful roar of the waves breaking against the sand. But when Mokichi and Ichizo are martyred, the sea is described to "surge on uncannily - in silence." It's a sobering thought to picture the powerful sea as silent. I don't believe it was audibly silent, but emotionally silent; it made Rodrigues face his own conscience and faith. He was bound to wonder, in the wake of this martyrdom, if he would choose to apostatize should the decision fall on him one day.

PS I commented on Ezra's and Becca's

Comments

Rebecca Belew said…
I love the relation you made to Jesus calling to his Father when on the cross, I hadn't thought of that and it really does parallel quite nicely. I also really loved the fact that the cicadas were brought up because that is quite an interesting idea. I believe the cicadas are mentioned because they generally symbolize peace and quiet, hence, the silence of God. Loved your take on the reading!
January 20, 2020 at 6:30 PM
Logan Turner said…
Honestly, I never would have thought of Car Radio while reading this. But since you've mentioned it, I won't be able to read this book the same. I also noticed the cicada's frequent appearance. To me, the cicada's almost seem to be like the calm before the storm, just before Rodrigues' faith gets tested. It certainly seems foreboding, and completely in line with the themes of the book.
January 20, 2020 at 7:10 PM
Zane Duke said…
While Car Radio is a great song, I think it is important to understand that Jesus had known what was coming long before he hung on the cross. God was never silent with Jesus. When Jesus was exclaiming "Why, why have you forsaken me?" he is quoting scripture from Isaiah. And as for the Silence, I like how you have dialed in the theme better than I have. It helps my shallow brain out at times. I feel like there is going to be a breaking point in the silence soon as the tension heats up to the climax, and I am excited for what is to come in the reading.
January 20, 2020 at 8:22 PM
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