Silence

The practice of silence

We live with so much noise all around us: the clamor of life, the digital din of pings, beeps and vibrations that constantly interrupts, along with so many voices that seek to define us, telling us who we are, what we should want, and what we must do.

It’s come to the point, observes Matthew Crawford, that “Silence is now offered as a luxury good … Because we have allowed our attention to be monetized, if you want yours back you’re going to have to pay for it.” Where, then, can we reclaim quiet and find the space to listen, to attend to the voice of God?

“However faintly we may hear him, God is speaking to us, and that, however little we may understand of it, his word to each of us is both recoverable and precious beyond telling.”

(Frederick Buechner)

The prophet Elijah, in a season of overwhelm, is called by God to a solitary place where God says he will meet with Elijah. And after a fire, after an earthquake, after a stormy wind comes a small, fragile silence. It is in a whisper in the stillness, in the sound of silence, where God meets Elijah.

The practice of silence is simply stilling your life to hear God. The aim in silence is always to grow a listening life.

Our practice is the simple habit of creating 30 minutes of silence each week. 30 minutes to turn down the volume, quiet our hearts, to be still and become attentive to the loving, life-giving presence of God. As a starter, try the 7 minute experience in silence below.