Fr Jim Cogley
Silence is becoming a lost art in our noisy society. Sounds wake us up, timers turn appliances off and on. We have music in cars, waiting rooms and shops. We have apps to fill every room with sounds. Televisions don’t seem to have an off button. People walk, run and exercise to sounds of music. Although these can provide enjoyment, they also protect us from listening to ourselves. Until we are quiet and able to listen, we miss what is going on in ourselves and around us. It can be frightening coming face to face with ourselves. We are left with ourselves for company. But silence can be a good teacher. “Wherever I am,” says Mark Strand, “I am what’s missing. ”Silence is a void, a soul cave, an empty well, waiting to be filled by the God who is waiting in a whisper to tell us what to speak. It’s not easy finding time for silence, especially for busy working people, mums and dads families, people in hospital or institutions. If we can find times of silence, it can be enriching and a time for growth.