It’s getting ever harder in a noisy world of blaring TVs and loud background music and Hell phone conversations and ring tones to find a little peace and quiet and solitude and deep silence.
But I submit that peace and quiet and silence and solitude–the state of being alone without being lonely–are essentials to creating the sort of holy life in which we can genuinely commune with God. They’re essential to spiritual and emotional health and healing.
Gerry Straub, my friend in BlogWorld who, in addition to being a superb spiritual writer, is a filmmaker for the forgotten poor of the world, has this to say about God and silence:
“God never shouts
to be heard
over our noise.
Only silence gives
God a chance to speak.
“We need to empty our hearts,
to sit in stillness.
“Silence allows us to live within,
helps us to concentrate on the serious,
profound inner mysteries of life.
Noise takes us out of ourselves,
and distracts and scatters our thoughts.”
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