The Great Silence

It is the silence of the world that’s real. 
Our noise, our business, our purposes, 
and all our facetious statements about our purposes, 
our businesses and our noise; these are the illusions.”  
~ T.Merton, No Man Is An Island

May 24, 2022

Beloved:

          It was so good just to sit and listen.  I heard a dozen different preachers,* some of them twice, along with good liturgy and music.  And plenty of silence too, in and out of worship. I wore a mask nearly all the time, which has its own silencing effect and, like everyone I know, I’m tired.  Tired enough that the opportunity not to talk was a blessing all its own.
          The great silence behind and below all facetious human noise is where God is, Merton says, and unless we go there, all we know and say of God is conjecture, hearsay at best.  The almond tree puts forth her fruit in silence, he notes, and the silence of the sky remains when the plane has gone.  The tranquility of the clouds will remain when the plane has fallen apart. 
 Silence is one of my summer spiritual intentions.  Not just a still voice but inner stillness too.  A quieting of the heart and mind with the hope of tuning in to the trees and clouds.  I’m thinking I’ll especially try to practice while I work  the flowerbeds, where there are weeds as tall as toddlers.  Silence save for the ripping sound as roots let go of earth.
          This room is mostly quiet now but for the snoring dogs and ticking clock.  Far off I hear a squawky bird.   If I can settle my brain I’m at risk of falling asleep.  But this summer I’m choosing not to mind or judge myself, but rather let the silence lead.  So if you see me sleeping in my flowerbed, not to worry, I’m fine.  I’m right where the Lord would have me on a summer day.  

*Last week I attended the Festival of Homiletics in Denver Colorado. In case you are interested in who preached:  https://festivalofhomiletics.com/.

The one glorious spot in my flowerbeds 
right now are my “Piney” ( also known as peony) bushes.