So I remained utterly silent, not even saying anything good. But my anguish increased; - Psalm 39:2

Today's Scripture Reading (August 22, 2025): Psalm 39

See something, say something. Homeland security has used the slogan since 2010, but the origin of the phrase and the trademark holder is the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority. After the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the NYMTA decided to ask the people to keep their eyes open for things that looked out of place. The idea was to get normal people to be their eyes and ears so that something like the 9/11 tragedy could never happen again.

We don't often use the slogan beyond terrorist prevention, but we do use the concept. It is used to protect minority groups and to prevent instances of vandalism. A neighbor of the church to which I am connected, and who doesn't attend the church, keeps an eye on the property and will contact us, often through Facebook or Meta, to tell us when something untoward is possibly happening on the church property.

Regardless of how we feel about specific hot-button topics, Christians should always be on the front line of the battle against discrimination. It is the story that we sometimes miss in the Good Samaritan. There were significant spiritual, racial, and political disagreements between the Samaritans and the Jews. But the tale of the Good Samaritan reminds us that people deserve to be treated with respect even if we disagree with their behavior or their beliefs. To put a point on this, Christians should be comforting and loving in their contact with the LGBTQ community, even if we feel the need to take a stand against homosexuality. We should be loving toward the young girls who have had an abortion, even if we believe that abortion is wrong. If we see abuse taking place even in these circumstances, we should be willing not only to say something, but to do something to protect the victim. There is never a reason for Christians to join with the abuser. Never.

David admits that he had decided to hold his tongue in the company of those who wanted to accomplish evil. Not only did he not say anything bad in their presence, but he refused to say anything at all. There have been many times in my life when I should have followed David's advice. But David also says that his anguish or misery increased. Some scholars have argued that David didn't trust himself not to speak wickedly even when he was trying to voice something good, so silence was his only option. However, I think that misses the point. David understood how swiftly life passes. As a result, he realized he had to make use of every opportunity to say what was good. Keeping silent about the good is not something we should aspire to. If we see something wrong, we have to say something, or even better, do something.

Maybe mom had it right when she taught us that "if we can't say something nice, don't say anything at all." But that did not mean that we needed to stay silent and not speak about the good when it is presented. We need to stand up and be counted for the good every time we see something that is wrong. We have to express what is good, or we will be complicit in all the evil that is being done in the world.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Psalm 40