Silence and stillness - arts in danger of extinction
Mercedes López-Miranda
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?
The ability to multitask is highly valued in our time. We have become expert jugglers by keeping our attention on several things at once. I am an enthusiastic supporter of efficiency. And I also believe what I heard so many times from my parents' lips: “Time is money.” But I also see how modern man has turned activity into an idol, an end in itself that provides him with a false sense of identity.
We also receive a daily barrage of invitations to interact with information. And how many of us have not fallen into the temptation of spending hours connected, day after day, on the cybernetic network?
I know of people who spend a lot of time daily updating their profile and communicating through their “social network.” Others simply navigate from one site to another filling their minds with information that is often not edifying.
If we were to pay attention to the environment of our homes, quite possibly, we would discover not only excess activity, but also excess sounds. This noise often originates from a television that remains on at all times even when no one is watching. In many homes there are not even established rules regarding the use of this and other means for the protection of their children.
It is important to work and keep busy. There is no doubt that the media can be very helpful. But we also need to get out of the traps of eagerness we have fallen into. It is imperative that we analyze our lives to reduce the external distractions that dominate our physical, mental and spiritual space.
By assuming a lifestyle with excessive activity and noise we have also neglected the posture of resting in God. Francois Fenelon said: "How rare it is to find a soul still enough to listen to God."
God is a communicator. He created you to live in communion with Him. He wants to speak to you every day and give you instructions and wise advice for all the situations in your life. But how can he speak to you if he finds no stillness or rest in you, if the line is so clogged that you cannot hear?
What do you think if you commit yourself to cultivating more the postures of silence and rest in Him? At first you will have to fight to master bad habits and family customs. You are going to have to resist the Enemy of your soul who wants to keep you distracted and unfocused. But I assure you that you will be renewed from the inside out. External distractions drain your energies, but your rest in the Lord will bring you new strength. By having this new stillness you will not only be able to talk to God. You will also hear the words of life that she has in store for you as her beloved child.
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?
The ability to multitask is highly valued in our time. We have become expert jugglers by keeping our attention on several things at once. I am an enthusiastic supporter of efficiency. And I also believe what I heard so many times from my parents' lips: “Time is money.” But I also see how modern man has turned activity into an idol, an end in itself that provides him with a false sense of identity.
We also receive a daily barrage of invitations to interact with information. And how many of us have not fallen into the temptation of spending hours connected, day after day, on the cybernetic network?
I know of people who spend a lot of time daily updating their profile and communicating through their “social network.” Others simply navigate from one site to another filling their minds with information that is often not edifying.
If we were to pay attention to the environment of our homes, quite possibly, we would discover not only excess activity, but also excess sounds. This noise often originates from a television that remains on at all times even when no one is watching. In many homes there are not even established rules regarding the use of this and other means for the protection of their children.
It is important to work and keep busy. There is no doubt that the media can be very helpful. But we also need to get out of the traps of eagerness we have fallen into. It is imperative that we analyze our lives to reduce the external distractions that dominate our physical, mental and spiritual space.
By assuming a lifestyle with excessive activity and noise we have also neglected the posture of resting in God. Francois Fenelon said: "How rare it is to find a soul still enough to listen to God."
God is a communicator. He created you to live in communion with Him. He wants to speak to you every day and give you instructions and wise advice for all the situations in your life. But how can he speak to you if he finds no stillness or rest in you, if the line is so clogged that you cannot hear?
What do you think if you commit yourself to cultivating more the postures of silence and rest in Him? At first you will have to fight to master bad habits and family customs. You are going to have to resist the Enemy of your soul who wants to keep you distracted and unfocused. But I assure you that you will be renewed from the inside out. External distractions drain your energies, but your rest in the Lord will bring you new strength. By having this new stillness you will not only be able to talk to God. You will also hear the words of life that she has in store for you as her beloved child.
