In Fast Company, chess master and sought-after mentor Bruce Pandolfini says:

"My lessons consist of a lot of silence.

"I listen to other teachers, and they're always talking….

"I let my students think. If I do ask a question and I don't get the right answer, I'll rephrase the question—and wait. I never give the answer. Most of us really don't appreciate the power of silence. Some of the most effective communication—between student and teacher, between master players—takes place during silent periods."

God, of course, is the peerless teacher, and he, too, communicates volumes through silence.