Let My Words Be Few

Never be rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be quick to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven, and you upon earth; therefore let your words be few.

Ecclesiastes 5:2

Since the season of Lent, I have been practicing the spiritual discipline of silence. I am an early riser, and I begin my days sitting quietly in God’s presence. I relax and quiet my mind, which is no easy task. Random thoughts pop in and out of my head constantly. I acknowledge them and let them pass, determined not to engage in an internal dialogue with any of them.

I have always considered prayer as a conversation with God, so silence is not a typical sort of prayer. Some classify the practice of silence as contemplation or meditation, although I think of those as states of focusing on something in particular. Being in silence is different, not unlike the difference between talking to a person and simply sitting in their presence. In her final days of life, I sat in the presence of my mother quite a lot. She could not communicate, nor was she conscious of her surroundings, except in brief episodes. I would talk to her, but I would quickly run out of things to say and fall into silence. In retrospect, I think I felt closer to mom during the times of silence.

Talking to God, as in prayer, is a comforting and healing practice. Particularly when no one else will listen or understand, we always know we can go to God. I think, however, there is an additional level of communing with God, and that is in silence. When we are silent, when our thoughts have stopped and there are no distractions, we begin to feel the deep, loving presence of God around and in us in ways we cannot otherwise perceive it. Words cannot describe the presence of God because it is beyond words. There is no need to talk, no need to listen, no need to analyze – only to be.

Clearly, I could drone on about silence and stray even farther from the core message of this Life Note; but I will not. Except to say, in keeping with the theme of letting my words be few, that Life Notes will not be published again until June 18. If you experience withdrawal, there are years of Life Notes in the archives on my website, www.ContemplatingGrace.com. Otherwise, enter the silence and be.

Come home to church this Sunday. Shhhh!