Silence and Stillness—endangered Arts

Rest. Repose. Stillness. Silence. These are words that seem increasingly foreign to us. Our conversations are often riddled with references to overwork and a lack of stillness. And sadly, we see this modern condition as a virtue, while at the same time it seems to us like an inescapable prison. We often stretch ourselves far beyond what is prudent because we fail to take proper inventory of the valuable but limited resources of time and energy.

It is possible to maintain this lifestyle for quite a long time, but the day comes when it becomes evident that we are living out of balance. Has it ever happened to you that you invested hours and hours in preparations to please others, and when the moment of celebration arrived, you were so exhausted that you had no strength to enjoy their company? Have you ever felt anxious, as though you were carrying a great weight on your shoulders because so many activities were competing for your time? Has your ability to sleep, to laugh, and to welcome the gift of a new day with positive anticipation been affected? Does your life resemble that of the little rodents that seem unable to stop going around and around on their wheel? Do you find yourself wondering how you reached this point and whether there is any way to stop, or at least slow down, your own wheel?

The ability to do several things at once (in English, “multi-tasking”) is highly valued in our time. We have become expert jugglers, keeping our attention on several things at once. I am an enthusiastic supporter of efficiency. And I also believe what I so often heard from my parents’ lips: “Time is money.” But I also see how modern man has turned activity into an idol, into an end in itself that provides him with a false sense of identity.

We are also bombarded daily with invitations to interact with information. And how many of us have not fallen into the temptation of spending hours online, day after day, on the Internet?

I know people who spend a great deal of time every day updating their profiles and communicating through their “social network.” Others simply browse from one site to another, filling their minds with information that is often not edifying.

If we paid attention to the environment in our homes, we would very likely discover not only excessive activity but also excessive noise. This noise often comes from a television that remains on at all hours even when no one is watching it. In many homes, there are not even established rules concerning the use of this and other media to protect the children.

It is important to work and keep ourselves busy. There is no doubt that the media can be very useful. But we also need to escape the traps of busyness into which we have fallen. It is imperative that we examine our lives in order to reduce the external distractions that dominate our physical, mental, and spiritual space.

By adopting a lifestyle filled with excessive activity and noise, we have also neglected the posture of resting in God. François Fénelon 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 counsel for every situation in your life. But how can He speak to you if He finds no stillness or rest within you, if the line is so obstructed that you cannot hear?

What do you think about committing yourself to cultivating the postures of silence and rest in Him more fully? At first, you will have to struggle to overcome bad habits and family customs. You will 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 energy, but your rest in the Lord will bring you new strength. With this newfound stillness, you will not only be able to speak with God. You will also hear the words of life that He has reserved for you as His beloved child.