Sound of Silence!

I opened my balcony early one winter morning and all I could hear was the noise of rubber on the road coming from the endless procession of motor cars and the humming of the air-cons kept on top of the buildings around me. I could faintly hear from a distance the song of a bird, but how I wished I could drown all the other noises to just hear that bird.

Then I realised how we have complicated our lives to such an extent with such noise and clamor that we can't even hear a sweet song of a bird. There are plenty of sparrows that keep chirping happily around me and some birds colourful and sweet sounding, gently tweeting their gratitude for another new dawn. Nature by itself is a refresher that hardly seems to get noticed and no wonder we are always weary.


We've made our worlds to get noisier by the day - noisy mobile phones, noisy vehicles, noisy machinery, noisy music and eventually we have become noisy people as well. Everything around us seems to be screaming for our attention that we have no time for a silent retreat within ourself. Our lives are filled with noise and confusion.

Silence is a healer - when relationships are fractured, it is silence that bandages the wound to provide healing. Our outbursts of anger and bitterness only leads to endless arguments and higher and thicker dividing walls. It is in silence we can find our Comforter. Not in the fire, not in the earthquake and not in the storm. But in the stillness is when you hear His gentle whisper. The knowledge and experience of a higher connection with the comforter & pacifier, the truth, is essential to find our comfort at such turbulent times. It is this "silent" mode that paves way for forgiveness and healing.

There is an old adage which says," You cannot fish when the water is muddy". In other words one has to wait patiently for the mud to settle down so that the water gets clearer to fish in it. You cannot see clearly when the winds are blowing. Outside I see the dust rising up and filling the air, which happens often during these times in the UAE. I cannot see the blue skies till this dust settles down. Waiting in silence helps us to arrive at our next course of action. It is in these moments of silence and restful composure one can make the best of decisions.

Silence is what helps us to tune to the God station - God says," Be still and know that I am God" (Ps 46:10). Our running about in utter restlessness, our toil and the gripping anxiety along with a faithless fear of the unknown, only clouds our thinking and drowns the gentle voice of God resulting in a sustained feeling of lostness that seems so overwhelming.

Taking time out in silence and quiet reflection, reviewing our course, asking God for direction and help for course correction is critical for our journey to be filled with hope!!

Peace be still!!