MINISTERS MUSINGS

June Musing

THE SOUND OF SILENCE

June marks the beginning of the summer holiday season.Most people have some idea of what they will do. For some it is a holiday abroad, for others it is a cruise or a coach tour, some will stay at home and take day trips. Whatever sort of holiday is chosen it usually involves a lot of activity and too much to eat. The holiday ends with a thicker waist line and a thinner wallet.

It is right that we should take a break from time to time. Even our Lord proved that when He exhorted His disciples to ‘come apart and rest awhile.’ ‘Be still and know that I am God’ wrote the psalmist. Recreation does not always mean engaging in frenetic activity. Times of quiet and stillness are so important, not only to refresh us in our bodies but in our minds and spirits as well. There is an old Chinese proverb;

‘Muddy water. Let stand. Becomes clear.’

This is so true. Problems often settle given time and quiet reflection.

John Cage, an American composer ‘wrote’ a piece of music called ‘4 minutes 33 seconds’. It consisted of a full orchestra sitting in complete silence for 4 minutes and 33 seconds. It was not a joke. What he set out to do was to get people to listen to the sound of silence. They could concentrate on sound within and without. When Elijah sought to hear God speaking to him, it was not in the thunder of the earthquake, the rush of the wind or the roar of fire. It was in the ensuing silence that he heard the divine voice. So in the midst of hustle and activity make time to be still and listen to and enjoy the sound of silence. You don’t have to go far to find it and it doesn’t make you put on weight or cost anything. Have a good holiday.