“For God alone my soul waits in silence; from him comes my salvation…For God alone my soul waits in silence, for my hope is from him…Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us.”. (Psalm 62:1,5,8 RSV)
There’s a famous quote from the French philosopher Blaise Pascal (1623-1662): “All of humanity’s problems stem from man’s inability to sit quietly in a room alone.”
When I heard this, the only thing I could think of was: what in the world would 17th century Pascal think of the constant noise with which we have to contend these days?. We can’t be alone with our own thoughts even in doctor’s waiting rooms, where a TV is tuned in to some show you would never choose to watch. In stores, music (not to your taste) is often playing at an intrusive volume. And what about the distractions and interruptions of cell notifications (unless you remember to turn them off)?
No wonder silence is so difficult for us. It can feel empty, lonely and foreign. We are like “strangers in a strange land”. That is, unless we recognize the value of befriending the quiet. The key is realizing that it is only there, in that silence, that I can come to know my own heart, where I can dialogue with God, simply and honestly.
And it is there, in the silence, that I can tune in to God’s voice and become familiar with it, learning to discern it and separate it from the blaring noise of the culture around me, and the clamor of my own fears, anxieties and mistaken ideas of what will make me happy.
Years ago, I heard someone describe how to listen to the voice of God’s Spirit. She said that God is always speaking, but most of the time, it’s too “noisy” (inside me as well as outside me) to hear it. It’s like the ticking of a clock (analog, not digital!), she said. The ticking goes on – very quietly – day and night, all the time. However, unless I’m very quiet and attentive, I can’t hear it. I must deliberately turn off the noise (external and internal) and be expectantly attentive. God always yearns for my attention, for he loves all whom he has redeemed. And love requires paying attention.
In this New Year, I have resolved to spend more prayer time simply sitting quietly, practicing being “expectantly attentive” to God’s presence, tuning into his voice (whether I sense him speaking or not). I want to grow to become more comfortable just being with him – silently, companionably. I want to let him know how much I love him, for I am assured of how much he loves me.
This is his constant invitation: to respond to him as his trusting little child. He yearns for all his children to learn to sit and quietly be with him – our “Abba”, our Daddy – just because we can, just because his infinite Love has made this privilege possible.
Lessons From Love School 