Gospel Moment

We have started a new column called "Gospel Moments". We dedicate this space to local Pastors or parishioners who would like to submit essays, stories, or parables to highlight a selected passage from the Bible.

Today's essay comes from David Johnson, who attends Bethel Church. It is inspired by Psalms 133:1, “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity!”

What If America Paused Together for One Minute a Day?

During the Second World War, millions of Britons stopped what they were doing each evening for one minute at 9:00 p.m. It was known simply as the Silent Minute. In homes, factories, pubs, and bomb shelters, people paused together—for silence, for prayer, or for quiet reflection. This ritual continued for years, through the darkest days of the war.

The practice was deliberately inclusive. No creed or ideology was required. One person might pray, another might reflect on loved ones serving overseas, and another might simply sit in stillness. What mattered was not what people thought, but that they paused together. Historians estimate that as many as one in ten Britons participated at its height.

The Silent Minute was publicly supported by King George VI and Prime Minister Winston Churchill, but it was never mandated. It remained voluntary—an act of shared civic spirit rather than government compulsion. Even the BBC participated, marking the moment with the sound of Big Ben striking 9 p.m., a time when many families were gathered around the wireless for the evening news. In a nation under siege, it became a small but steady reminder that people were not facing the crisis alone.

That history raises an interesting question for us today.

How might Americans do something similar in this difficult season of our own history?

Our greatest need right now, it seems to me, is not uniformity, but unity—not sameness of thought, belief, or lifestyle, but a shared willingness to live together as one people. We are a nation of many subcultures, convictions, and perspectives. That diversity is real and enduring. Unity does not require erasing it.

A simple, voluntary minute of silence—at 9 p.m. in each time zone—could be one small way to practice that unity. Some might use the minute to pray. Others might reflect on the ideals that gave birth to our nation: liberty, justice, responsibility, and mutual respect. Still others might think about neighbors, communities, or future generations. The specific focus matters less than the shared act itself.

What matters is acting together, quietly and deliberately, for the common good of all Americans.

I’ve been doing this for weeks. I set an alarm on my watch to remind me. It doesn’t feel dramatic or performative—but it does feel meaningful. It feels like a small act of faith in the idea that we still belong together in America the Beautiful.

Will you join me?