My Opinion? We Need Less Opinion in 2024.

"Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions.” --Proverbs 18:2

Here’s my idea of hell on earth.

Being surrounded by people who insist on telling me exactly what their opinion is about this political issue or that current event. Folks sure that what I believe about politics or culture, or religion is completely wrong. And that what they believe is absolutely, positively right. If I do not agree with them, well, I must be unenlightened or not progressive enough or not conservative enough or I am the enemy or just clueless or even evil.   

Oh wait. That’s the world we live in now!

“No comment.” Does anyone in our culture, in particular politicians, influencers, sports stars, celebrities, pundits, journalists, “religious” types know of this wise phrase, one so rarely spoken in 2024? “No comment.”

Or how about, “I’m not sure what I believe.” Or “I don’t know.” Or “I really don’t have an opinion on that.” Or “I don’t think what I have to say is all that important.” Or “I’m still thinking about it, praying about it.” Or “I’ve actually changed my mind. I was wrong.”

The irony is not lost on me that I have been an opinion writer for almost thirty years, and I’ve been a preacher of opinions, and paid to have an opinion, for more than thirty-five years. But I am not so sure anymore just how helpful that is. To have an opinion and to feel compelled to share it with anyone, with everyone.

LISTEN TO ME!

Does the world really need one more opinionated person and opinion?  Does this world really need another blowhard candidate, with an overinflated ego, basking in the creepy adulation of his or her minions, at some stage-crafted telegenic rally, preening like some latter-day Mussolini? Is that what we need in a leader right now? How does that help anything or anyone in this mess of a planet on fire with so much conflict, violence, and self-righteousness? Do we really need to care about what a university or a toilet paper company or a sports team or a celebrity or a self-important billionaire thinks about the current hot issue of the moment?  

I’m not so sure. 

Opinions, millions of opinions are ours’ for the consuming every single day, heck every single second on all of our screens. Whatever opinion we seek to affirm, our opinion is just a click or a tap away. But is the creation of so much broadcast opinion improving what ails us? Stopping wars. Making peace between faiths.  Running a country well and with competence. Seeking the common good. Saving the planet.

When it comes to sharing just what I believe I need to be a little wiser and a little humbler and a little quieter. My faith tells me I need to go to a silent place on a regular basis. To listen to God and not just presume to speak about God. My faith teaches me that if the strength of my religious belief depends upon on my need to tear down another’s belief, that’s no faith at all. My faith reminds me that I have one mouth but two ears, I need to listen much more, and talk much less. My faith convicts me that just because I have an opinion does not mean I actually have to say it out loud. Foist it upon others. A wise spiritual mentor of mine once taught me a strategy for figuring out when to speak and when to go mute.

“Ask yourself three questions. Does it need to be said? Does it need to be said now? Does it need to be said by me?”

Of course, this is all just my opinion about opinion. I could be wrong.  But what heaven on earth it might be, if for just one day in our world, no one, not a soul, expressed any opinion about anything or anyone.   

Shhhhh. Quiet please. Listen. Learn. Hush. Pray. Amen.     

The Reverend John F. Hudson is Senior Pastor of the Pilgrim Church, United Church of Christ, in Sherborn, Massachusetts (pilgrimsherborn.org). He blogs at sherbornpastor.blogspot.com and is a resident scholar at the Collegeville Institute at Saint John’s University in Collegeville, Minnesota. For twenty-five years he was a columnist whose essays appeared in newspapers throughout Massachusetts and Rhode Island. He has served churches in New England since 1989. For comments, please be in touch: pastorjohn@pilgrimsherborn.org.