Try This
Commit to a practice of silence this week for a short, set time – say ten minutes a day. As far as you can, drop all expectations about this time of silence. Let your intention be simply to rest in God’s loving presence. Trust that all you need to do is show up. God will do the rest.
Silence allows for both mystery and revelation, and both are essential to our relationship with God. Br. Nicholas describes silence as “a conversation between the mystery of God and the mystery of our own selves.” Imagine your silent prayer this week as a wordless conversation. Listen for the mystery of God. Listen for the mystery of your own heart.
For Reflection
How does silence play a role in your life already? Do you crave silence or resist it? If your relationship with silence is one of longing, consider what might be behind that desire: what is your soul seeking? If you avoid silence, consider what fears your resistance might contain or express.
Br. Keith describes his experience of unexpectedly encountering the mystery of God: “silence, this language of God, suddenly arrests us and enfolds us.” Has this happened to you? Recall your experience. How might you open yourself to receiving this sort of experience again – maybe even today?