What God Can Do With Quiet

Henri Nouwen, who wrote many books on spirituality, says that times of solitude and silence are the furnaces of transformation God uses in our lives. Without them, “we remain victims of our society and continue to be entangled in illusions” of ourselves. Here is how Nouwen says they work.

First, periods of quiet time alone remove our usual props—no friends to talk to on the phone, no music to entertain, no advertising to make us believe we are worth something—just us. Then, inevitably, our ugliness begins to make itself known, usually in the form of anger or greed. We find ourselves imagining scenes in which we deliver the perfect comeback to an unreasonable co-worker or annoying customer. Or we daydream about wealth, influence or looking incredibly hip in a new pair of jeans. We come face to face with our selfishness and realize that only Jesus can change us. We begin to pray and allow Him to work on us. Thus, Nouwen says times of solitude and silence are places “where Christ remodels us in His own image and frees us from the victimizing compulsions of the world.”

Having trouble finding ways to eliminate the noise in your life? Take a look at your day and identify all the times you are alone. For many of us, this may only be during our commutes, workouts or when doing some undesirable chore that makes the rest of the family run for cover. Turn off anything you usually do to distract yourself during these times. No radio, iPod, TV, cell phone, etc. Still having trouble finding a quiet time alone? Can your spouse watch the kids while you take a walk around the block after dinner? Can you take a walk during your lunch break at work? Can you plunk down the kids at the public library story hour and then go sit in a quiet part of the library by yourself? Get creative. You can actually pray that God will give you some periods of quiet during your day.

If you are interested in reading more of what Nouwen has to say, try The Way of the Heart: Connecting with God through Prayer, Wisdom and Silence. The quotes in this post are taken from the chapter entitled, "The Furnace of Transformation."