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How do you feel when you are forced to be in silence? For a moment? 5 minutes? 10 minutes?
I believe for most of us... being silent for much more than a moment is very disconcerting. We are geared to be productive... it's the American way, Right!
Psalm 46:10... "Be Still and Know that I AM God" is an affront to our American way of life. We are living in a time where culture and society are moving at what seems super-sonic speeds, yet as much as we are reluctant to slow ourselves, we desire some slowness in life.
When I lived in Florida along the inter-coastal water-way of the Indian River I would often go out and sit on the bench that was located in the back yard of our condo. I would try to silence myself. I would try and meditate. I would try and reflect on what was going on at that moment in my life. Then I'd hear the screeching of tires, car noise, trucks, the fire department responding to a call, etc. It seemed I wasn't sitting but a minute looking for silence when the world crashed in on my attempt.
Then there were the times when I was able to experience a prolonged period of silence when the silence became too burdensome. It was too quiet. Too still. Too challenging. I often felt I would never be able to experience Psalm 46: 10 in my life. I wonder even today if it is even possible.
It often seems silence is in short supply. I went to camp a couple of weeks ago. Those of you who do this know that camp is not a vacation or a place where you can rest or even find silence. Not only are you as an adult leader or pastor responsible to do at least a hour long bible study with your kids, but the camp has you do work (at least the Lutheran camps I've been associated with do) around the camp. I told them when I arrived, I am not doing anything for two days. I am going to rest for two days because I hadn't had any time off since the beginning of the year. After those two days I will do whatever you want. I cut down brush & trees. It was good. But consider... I had to make the decision to be quiet & restful. I had to carve out the time and for once I didn't feel guilty. Perhaps... I'm coming to a place where I am beginning to become silent in my life.
All to often I believe we are looking for God in all the wrong places. We tend to listen for God in our activities. In all the noise of life. In the comings and goings of our day when perhaps we need to reassess where we really need to hear from God.
In 1 Kings 19, Elijah has had all he can take. He is at his whits end when God tells him to go up to the mountain and God passes by and the mountain and it shakes. But God says he's not in the mountain. Then a strong and violent wind comes, but God wasn't in the wind. Then a earthquake, but God wasn't in the earthquake. Then a fire, but God wasn't in the fire. Then a gentle breeze comes and Elijah covers himself and hears God. There are various understandings about this, but what some seem to indicate is that God spoke and Elijah heard God's voice in the silence. That God speaks in the solitude of life.
Perhaps... the silence of life is not only God speaking, but us listening! Maybe we don't hear because we are in too much noise! Too much activity to hear and to listen.
Maybe there's a connection between the amount of noise in our lives and our ability to hear God. If God feels distant, maybe it's not because God is not talking, but simply because we are not hearing.
Mark 1:35... "Jesus woke early in the morning and went out to a place where he could be alone and pray."
My friends... Be Still and Know I AM God.
