Silence Feeds Spiritual Life

Silence Feeds Spiritual Life November 1, 2014

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There was a time when it seemed to me that spiritual life was all about words.

My experience of spiritual life was teaching and preaching, studying and talking to God. Spiritual life was only valuable when it could be put into words. I worked to strengthen the spiritual life in me by talking, reading, writing. Spiritual life was all about what you could describe to other people. I memorized the words of scripture passages. I thought about words, analyzing them to grasp their meaning.

I wrestled with words, squeezing them to wring out all they had for me. I fell in love with words, with how they sound and how it feels to say them. I struggled to find exactly the right word to clearly express precisely what I had to say.

Words and I have an intimate friendship.

There came a time for me when words ran out. Words were not able to express my experiences, my feelings, my thoughts. There, at the edge of words, I discovered silence.

Many people are intimidated by silence. We are addicted to words, afraid of what silence has to tell us. We surround ourselves with other people, electronic sound, written words.

There are deep truths waiting for us in silence. When we spend time in silence, we are not distracted. Silence gives us opportunities to release our stranglehold, to open ourselves to the life and lessons around us.

Silence, even for a few moments, frees us from the demanding, expecting, critical voices within us. Silence gives us a chance to take a deep breath, room to grow.

I spend time listening to my own silence, and helping other people listen to theirs.

When is the last time you listened to silence?

How do you feed the spiritual life in you?

[Image by VinothChandar]


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