Silence and stillness - arts in danger of extinction

SUMMARY: In our modern society, we often value overwork and lack of quiet as virtues, but this can lead to living out of balance and feeling exhausted. We have become expert jugglers of multitasking and spend too much time connected to the cybernetic network. Excess activity and noise dominate our physical, mental, and spiritual space, and we neglect the posture of resting in God. By cultivating stillness and rest in Him, we can renew ourselves from the inside out and hear the words of life that He has in store for us as His beloved children.

Rest. Repose. Stillness. Be quiet. These are words that seem increasingly foreign to us. Our conversations are often riddled with allusions to overwork and lack of quiet. And sadly we see this modern condition as a virtue, which at the same time seems to us an inescapable prison. We often stretch out much longer than we are wise to because we do not take correct inventory of valuable but limited resources of time and energy.

It is possible to lead this lifestyle for quite some time, but the day comes when it becomes clear that we are living out of balance. Has it not happened to you that you have invested hours and hours of preparation to please others and when the moment of celebration arrives you are so exhausted that you do not have the strength to enjoy their company? Have you not felt anxious and as if you were carrying a great weight on your shoulders because there are many activities competing for your time? Has your ability to sleep, to laugh, and to welcome the gift of a new day with positive expectation been affected? Does your life resemble that of the little rodents that can't seem to stop going round and round on their wheel? Do you find yourself wondering how you got to this point and if there will be any way to stop, or at least slow down, your own wheel?