The Sound of Silence

By Rev. Ethan Brown

Pastor and Minister of Care & Discipleship

Last week at this time, Caitlin and I were in the midst of our three-day stay at the Monastery of the Holy Spirit in Conyers, Georgia. I’m sure you’ve heard some about the austere accommodations, the good but simple food, and our productive sermon planning while away, but what has stuck with me the most was the experience of silence. All throughout the Abbey, next to pictures of Popes and Renaissance paintings, were signs reminding us that, “Silence is practiced here” or “Listen, you may hear God.”

After the Compline prayer service at 7:30 p.m., the monastery entered into “The Great Silence,” which was to carry the monks until their prayer service at 4:00 a.m. and sleepier people—like yours truly—until Lauds at 7:00 a.m. Even the WiFi was cut off in service to The Great Silence. As an introvert it was magical, yet I didn’t realize how deeply or quickly the silence would sink into my soul.

On the second night, we planned to have dinner out in the city, something that’s difficult to do with a toddler at home. I pulled out of the monastery’s drive at the pace of a monk and quickly received the honking horn from the car behind us. From there it didn’t take long to encounter the blaring sirens of police cars and fire trucks, the lights from traffic, and noise of the city. By the time we sat down for dinner, we both agreed we should have stayed at the monastery. I had not realized how much peace and clarity the silence brought until I was immersed in the normal cacophony of life.

As we travel into this season of Epiphany, of finding Jesus present among us in surprising places and ways, I’m struck by the wisdom of the monks encouraging us towards a silence that frees us to find God. Like this old psychology awareness test shows, humans are particularly bad at paying attention to lots of different things at the same time.

What needs to change in order to pay attention to God? What is one small step you can take this Epiphany season to enter a greater silence for your soul? I am learning to charge my phone somewhere other than near the bed. What could it be for you? For when we find silence in our lives, I believe we will find God there, too.