The Bible seems to connect with everything in life. In Leviticus we hear: “You shall not revile the deaf or put a stumbling block before the blind; you shall fear your God: I am the LORD.” (Leviticus 19:14).
A week and a half ago my cochlear implant was activated. While my hearing ability has been deteriorating for several years now, moving to zero hearing has been an experience.
When I was blessed with cochlear implant surgery a month ago, my hearing ceased to exist for a month. While I have much experience living in a world where it is hard for me to hear, during the past month I’ve heard nothing.
My empathy for the deaf has increased one-hundred-fold. Living in this world of no noise has been a difficult, yet sometimes a spiritual experience. Simon and Garfunkel’s tune, “The Sound of Silence,” certainly touches on this in some fashion with lyrics like: “Hello darkness, my old friend, I’ve come to talk with you again.”
Yes, it’s somewhat dark in deafness, but one thinks about life in a different way when deaf. Maybe not hearing all the negatives in life is somewhat up-lifting.
I remember a very hard of hearing member of my church that in old age became somewhat homebound. He would try and try to interact with others in his deafness. When you called his home he would always answer the phone and say hello, but couldn’t hear a word you were saying.
The phone would be close to him and he would see the blinking red light. He would then hand the phone to his wife to receive the message. He just wouldn’t stop answering the phone.
Being deaf and all its results is certainly not something we want in life. I have been fortunate, but many can’t get help in this struggle, like I have.
Calling on Simon and Garfunkel again we hear: “Fools said I, you do not know, Silence like a cancer grows, Hear my words that I might teach you, Take my arms that I might reach to you.”
We humans can have many different afflictions in life, but sometimes there is a sound of silence when it comes to understanding the deaf and hearing impaired.