The Sound Of Silence

To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven… a time to keep silence and a time to speak.
Ecclesiastes 3:1,7a

Most of us probably know what an earworm is. Not as gross as it sounds, it’s a bit of music that gets stuck in your head. Even the title of this article may have triggered an earworm for you if you know the old Simon and Garfunkel tune. If you’re like me, you almost always have some song running through your head.

One time I made myself not listen to any music for an entire week. I wanted to see if by the end of seven days the earworms would still be there. They didn’t completely disappear, and a week without music was very hard! But the noise in my head had definitely lessened.

Of course it’s only in modern times that we have such easy and constant access to music. Before the industrial age, if you wanted to hear music, you, or someone near you, had to make it. Live music was the only music. Now music is nearly inescapable. We’re likely to notice if a store or a restaurant does not have background music playing. We’re lucky that we have so many options for listening to music now. But there are drawbacks too.

In a great article at http://www.artofmanliness.com, I read the following: “The bubbles of intuition never get a chance to rise to the surface when they’re pricked by the beats of your tunes.”

Some things can only be heard or noticed in the silence. Our conscience, our true inner voice, even the promptings of the Holy Spirit can be drowned out by music or other noise. Maybe you don’t listen to music much, but is your tv on 24/7? Talk as well as music can steal away opportunities to listen to our hearts and to get in touch with the heart of God.

Why do we need so much noise? Are we afraid of silence? Afraid of the thoughts or emotions that might surface if given a chance?

Even Jesus often withdrew to be alone for quiet, solitude, prayer, and communion with the Father. If, in a time when there were no earbuds, no satellite radio, no itunes or youtube, even Jesus needed to seek out a time and place for quiet, surely we need it even more.

… Let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak… (James 1:19)

I encourage you to challenge yourself this week to find a quiet place. Sit in the quiet and do nothing. Try it for fifteen minutes, longer if you can. No music, no talking or singing. Reading is not allowed either. When you read, someone else’s thoughts are running through your mind. If possible, get outside and immerse yourself in the sounds of nature. But find some quiet place and just listen.

After that, get a pen and paper. Reflect upon the experience and write out your thoughts. Take note of your feelings after this simple experiment.

In Celebration of Discipline, Richard J. Foster has a chapter on silence and solitude in which he says you can develop an “inner sanctuary” that, even in a busy place, allows you to “escape” the noise and crowding of life. But cultivating such a portable meditative inner life will require some actual quiet time alone with God.

Maybe you have already developed a good routine for silent meditation. If so, please consider sharing any reflections and advice in the comments. I’m going to guess that you are not a mother of small children, but who knows?! If you get up early enough or stay up late enough, you may have found the very key to staying joyful in those busy, tiring years.

Of course Christian meditation is meant to be anchored in Scripture. If we read our Bibles like we should, God’s word will become a type of earworm too. But inner quiet allows us to meditate on the deeper meaning and the personal application. In our modern, noise-filled lives, this takes intentionality. But what better soundtrack could we have?

The Lord is in His holy temple.
Let all the earth keep silence before Him.”
Habakkuk 2:20

Dear Heavenly Father, I’m so often quick to speak and slow to hear. It’s so easy to fill my life with noise and to be uncomfortable with silence. Help me to seek out quiet time to study Your word, but also to reflect upon it and sometimes just to be still. Help my ears to be open to Your direction and comfort. In Jesus’s name, Amen.

by Christie Cole Atkins

P.S. The article I mentioned is by Brett and Kate McKay and can be found at https://www.artofmanliness.com/character/behavior/spiritual-disciplines-solitude-silence/