Finding Silence in a Noisy Season
/We tend to not do well with silence. We’ve been conditioned to respond to noise, to celebrate it and whatever words we feel the need to share and want to hear. Cell phone notifications, e-mail alerts, traffic and piped music in stores assault us continuously.
I’ve decided that where I’m leading worship for Advent we’re going to focus on the babies, John and Jesus, rather than the second coming. This Sunday is Gabriel’s visit to Zechariah as he is doing his priestly duties in the holy of holies of the temple. His disbelief at the angel Gabriel’s message that he is going to be a father in his old age results in the loss of his voice until the child’s birth. Some wives would love this – 9 months of only them talking.
It’s one of those stories that we may gloss over, his lack of voice being mentioned only in a few verses until John is born. But I can’t personally imagine losing my voice for that long. A day would be difficult for me, let alone 9 months. We also read in Luke 1:24 that Elizabeth was in seclusion for the first five months of pregnancy. I wonder if, in this forced silence, Zechariah became any better at listening - at understanding her and God and even himself.
I’ve known people with laryngitis and illness that have made speech difficult. It’s hard to lose that lifeline of communication. I’ve also worked in churches where there is almost constant noise – the doorbell going off or the phone ringing seemingly every few minutes, voices carrying from meetings and programs, people dropping in to chat unexpectedly, organ practices and music lessons, people outside arguing in the street and the list goes on and on. I used to work from home whenever feasible to avoid all of the noise. It was much more productive, but even then I rarely found myself in silence, able to focus on specifically one thing or just God’s presence.
This advent, I encourage you to have scheduled Zechariah moments - to find time to just soak in silence. Here are some ideas:
a) The beginning and end of the day are usually quieter times. Commit to anywhere from 1-5 minutes of silence and stillness first thing in the morning or last thing at night. Breathe deeply and focus on clearing clutter from your mind as you centre yourself.
b) Consider a silent retreat at a spirituality centre of some sort or cabin. This is probably unrealistic during Advent, but start to plan now for time away from everything else to listen and learn about yourself.
c) Find an inspiring place to walk outside. Walk a local trail or visit a natural area or find a quiet neighbourhood and just wander and pray. If the weather outside is frightful, walk inside your church at a non-program time.
d) Have a monk’s meal, either on your own or with your family. Unlike at camp, instead of taking away a piece of cutlery for each time someone speaks, perhaps take a donation of a dime or quarter for a charity of choice. Make sure tvs and phones are off.
e) As you do your morning routine to prepare for your day, turn off the radio and listen intently. Wait to check your e-mail or social media until you have given the day to God.
f) Take a nap or at very least lie down and doze. Sometimes these are the best opportunities for clear thinking and refreshment and even hearing something important God is trying to say to you.
Zechariah probably didn’t think of his muteness as a gift from God. Young people who are cut off from wifi and their phones wouldn’t see that as a gift either. But, we need to reclaim our identity as human beings as opposed to human doings, and to be obedient to God’s voice.
May you hear with clarity the voice of the One who loves you more than you can ask or imagine. Enjoy the sound of silence this Advent.