Once upon a time, I couldn’t stand silence. I filled silence with loud music. Now, I feel increasingly jangled in a world that’s ever more-amplified.
I say that the way we do church might propel me into becoming a Quaker, and it’s not because of the theology. It’s because the sound system is so loud that I often go home with a headache.
Each Sunday, the idea of sitting in silence together as a community appeals more and more.
I wasn’t always this way. Before my first visit to a monastery, the thought of silence worried me the most.
I knew I could be comfortable with silence during certain spaces: at night, when I was reading — all the times I would normally enjoy silence.
But during the meals? I associated silent meals with anger, seething resentment and unpleasant emotions of all types.
Happily, my experience at the monastery changed my mind about silence. The first meal felt a bit stressful, but I was with friends who had been there before, and we were more comfortable in silence than I thought we would be.
After the first moments of discomfort passed, I was able to focus on the food and on the people who ate with me. As the weekend progressed, I found myself quickly sinking into prayer: gratitude for the delicious food and love or concern for my fellow retreatants, most of whom I didn’t know, and the monks, who remained a bit mysterious.
We live in a world where silence feels increasingly impossible. Television broadcasts at every hour of the day or night, as does radio.
While technology makes it possible for us to connect with each other in ways that once would never have happened, for many of us, our technological devices give us additional hurdles to finding silence.
Those of us who don’t feel frazzled by all this noise, and by its volume, might ask, “What’s the big deal? Why is silence so important?”
After all, we’re better informed as citizens than we ever have been. Some people might protest that they hear important, life-affirming messages in the music that’s always piping into their ears. We have all sorts of resources, in all sorts of media, to support us in all our goals.
Yet every religious tradition stresses the importance of silence. Why does the cultivation of silence show up as a tool of spiritual formation in every religion?
Many of us use noise to block out sounds we’d rather not hear. And when we do that, we won’t hear God’s voice either.
Of course, we might be using noise to block out God, too. Maybe we know that God envisions a better life for us, but we don’t want to face those implications. Maybe we know that God calls us to do better.
Or maybe we just need to get comfortable with silence again. We tend to fear what we do not know, and these days, most of us have little experience with silence anymore.
So, start slowly, the way you would with any discipline you might adopt. When you go to bed at night, turn off the television, the radios, the electronics. Slip into sleep in silence. When you get ready for the day, see if you can turn off the electronic chatter — you don’t need to know the news, at least not first thing.
As the weeks go by, you may notice that your mood improves as you let more silence seep into your days. And you may notice that God has a chance to talk to you in the hollowed out space you’ve created.
Kristin Berkey-Abbott is a lifelong Lutheran, a college teacher and department head. She has taught a variety of English and creative writing classes for the last 20 years.
Lovely. I, too, would become Quaker if only for the silence in the gathering. (Really, the only thing that keeps me from becoming Quaker is their lack of sacraments, but that's another issue.) Silence can be so hard. It comes and goes with me. But I know life's better when I practice it. Thank you for this reminder. It's timely for me.
I couldn't agree with this more. I wish silence became a part of the worship service. As an assisting minister, I recently extended a longer moment of silence between each bid of the intercessory prayer. Did anyone notice? Maybe next time I'll intentionally do it a bit longer.
"Trumpet and pipes, loud clashing cymbals,
sing to the Lord a new song!
Harp, lute, and lyre, loud humming cellos,
sing to the Lord a new song!
Engines and steel, loud pounding hammers,
sing to the Lord a new song!
Limestone and beams, loud building workers,
sing to the Lord a new song!"
Psalm 46:10 "Be still and know that I am God." And I think that to the "be still" verse we could add, and be silent to better here my word. In this noisy world of imposed muzak, cars, machinery of all kinds, inundate our ears and our perceptions. Sometimes it is just better to block out all of this "noise" and to meditate in peace and quiet, so that we can better "hear" our Lord and Savior speak to us.
About the issues of amplification and sound systems in our churches: I'm aware that churches have to keep the needs of the hearing impaired in mind. I know that people who aren't hearing impaired often have trouble hearing without amplification. I know that there are many of us who are increasingly sensitive to stimuli, and not in a good way. It's not easy to navigate these issues.
And, of course, in response to the posting of the Earth and All Stars lyrics, there is a time for everything. As Jesus said, if we are silent in our praise the rocks will cry out. There's a time to cry out "Hosanna" and a time to listen for the still small voice.
I agree that there is a time for everything. Christ is found both in the silence and the noisy world of muzak, cars, etc. Maybe these lyrics are better:
"And in the naked light I saw
Ten thousand people, maybe more
People talking without speaking
People hearing without listening
People writing songs that voices never share
And no one dared
Disturb the sound of silence
"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 you"
But my words, like silent raindrops fell
And echoed
In the wells of silence
And the people bowed and prayed
To the neon god they made"
Thank you for this gentle reminder. I need to take a little time away from my noisy life and see what God has to say. . .
Peter, you have an interesting forceful point you're trying to make and I do not think it is lost on us but I sense you may be missing the over arching point...silence can be a good tool to hear God more clearly. I think we get that point that others may hear God above and through the din of noise whatever it may be. I believe I heard every key stroke you've used to pound your point home.
Although I am tempted to cite Matt 27:50, how about v13-14 instead:
"Then Pilate asked him, “Don’t you hear the testimony they are bringing against you?” But Jesus made no reply, not even to a single charge—to the great amazement of the governor"
There are only two tools that get us closer to God/hear God more clearly: Word and Sacrament. Silence is not a bad thing, but it won't get us closer to God. We can make of silence the same idol we may make of noisy worldly pursuits, but neither saves. That is for Christ alone, who saves both with his silence and his cry.
Peter,
Now there's an awkward silence.....
For Pilate, maybe. Here's one of Bob Bertram's reflections on that silence before the governor on which we reflect tonight and tomorrow: http://www.crossings.org/newsletr/lent-99/silence.shtml