“Meeting God in the Silence”
He said, “Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.” Now there was a great wind, so strong that it was splitting mountains and breaking rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of sheer silence. – – 1 Kings 19:11-12, NRSV
“Silence is about rediscovering, through pausing, the things that bring us joy. – Erling Kagge, Norwegian explorer and first person to reach the South Pole alone, and author of Silence in the Age of Noise
If there are three things, I’d like to invite you to try this Lenten season, it is to make friends with Silence; hang out with Solitude and wait for God to speak to you. Prayer after all is a conversation, not a monologue. Silences in between spoken words are necessary for genuine communion to happen.
For some of us, silence is a default mode if we live alone. This kind of silence can be comforting, but it can also be awkward, unwelcome and uncomfortable. Moses, Elijah and even Jesus knew this kind of unsettling silence. These three, especially Jesus can empathize with us. They can also teach us a thing or two about the joy of silence and solitude with God.
Erling Kagge, famed Norwegian explorer and the first person to reach the South Pole alone, wrote a book entitled, Silence in the Age of Noise. Kagge’s book explores the silence around us, the silence within us, and the silence we must create. He wrote, “In silence, Jesus prepared himself for God…In the Bible, God is often in the silence. In the Book of Kings, we are told of the way in which God reveals himself to Elijah. First came the hurricane, then an earthquake, and after that fire. God was not in any of them. God came later, in a small, quiet voice, or a ‘brittle silence’ as some newer translations have it…God is in the silence.” (Kagge, Silence, 80-81)
Elijah was not as willing as Jesus to embrace the silence. In fact, he was running away from it all, burned out, and depressed, ready to give up! Exhausted after a show down with the prophets of the false god, Baal, Elijah surrenders to the silence, feeling defeated. Then God speaks: “What are you doing here, Elijah?” (1 Kings 19: 13) There are times, that I sense God asking me the same question, “What are you doing here, Carla?” And I also have asked God, “Why am I here, Lord?” In prayerful silence and reading of the Scriptures, journaling and prayer walking, I have tried to answer God’s question. Most of the time I ended up with more questions than answers. Like Elijah, I felt overwhelmed. Although at times silence can be scary, it can be a gift from God, a space where God offers us a place to discover our true self, stripped of pretenses and open to receive God’s liberating and healing love.
Matthew 4:1-11 tells us that Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tested by the devil. He did it voluntarily and with prayer. He also abstained from food and drink. Bible scholars explain that “40 days” can be taken literally but it can also mean a very long time. Jesus passed this time of testing and emerged victorious, but not without struggle. In the midst of the silence of the desert, Jesus was in the company of His Heavenly Father and the Spirit. It was from this silent communion that Jesus found the strength and power to overcome temptations.
In the midst of the noise that’s going on around us and inside us, may the stories of Moses, Elijah and Jesus inspire us in our continuing journey of faith and listening to God in moments of stillness and silence. Out of this silent communion with God, may we go forth into the world, strengthened and renewed, to love and serve God, in our families, church, and community.
God’s Peace and Blessings be with you All, this season of Lent and beyond!
Yours in Christ,
Pastor Carla
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