Why Get Quiet?

Why get quiet? Is there something wrong with DJs, music and TV news? No. Not usually. It’s just that they conspire to keep us from things that are so much better. Like prolonged thought. Like remembering the person who you volunteered to pray for and then forgot all about. Like realizing that the situation that’s troubling you at work is exactly the same as something you heard in last Sunday’s sermon.

It’s no secret that Jesus sought times of solitude and silence and encouraged his disciples to draw away from the crowds for awhile too. And many of the Christians we think of as "great" down through the centuries (like Brother Lawrence and Mother Theresa) have advocated getting quiet and alone as a primary way to focus more intently on God. But how in the world are we to do that when we are so busy with our jobs, our kids, volunteer activities, the house, etc., etc.? One way to begin is to create little oases of quiet where possible in our days.

So how are you doing with getting rid of the gratuitous, extraneous noise in your life? Can you commute in silence? Can you give up listening to the news repetitively while getting ready for work or cooking dinner? Just try it. And don’t forget to keep up with the habits we developed in January and February—-praying for a few minutes three times a day and reading the New Testament for 7-8 minutes each day.