Pastor's Pondering 9/24
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September 26, 2023One of my favorite things about the dawn of spring is the peeping sound that can be heard around ponds, lakes, and marshes. I wish I knew what was making that sound, I suppose I could do some research, but I am way more interested in the sound than I am in who or what is making it. This is also true of the buzzing of cicadas. Whenever I hear that sound, I know it is going to be a hot day. I have never seen a cicada, but I have heard them all my life and find their zzzzzzzz to be comforting. Finally, the chirping of crickets is another sound to which I am drawn. I am amazed that such a small creature can be so loud. I also find it frustrating that when I go looking for the source of the chirping, it stops.
On the other end of the sound spectrum are the noises that raise my anxiety level. I think by now most of you are aware of my dislike of loud motorcycles. I know that this noise ultimately keeps bikers safe, but I cannot help wondering if it really needs to be as loud as it is. There are also some very loud cars in my neighborhood. I am not sure why these cars are loud, but I do know that often enough they drown out the more pleasant sounds. Of course, this is just my humble opinion; to others both sounds are music to their ears.
Whether it is the sounds of nature, or the rhythm of a band, or racket from a passing vehicle, noise cannot easily be avoided. Silence and quiet are commodities that just seem to be in short supply these days. To get either of these is hard work, depending on where one lives, maybe near impossible. So, what are we to do?
We could all move to the desert but if this happens, we will soon discover that we bring our noises with us. Instead, we need to find a way to quiet ourselves, our minds, our souls, and even our bodies. We need to find a way to be quiet amid chaos, and we need to find silence even when there are fireworks going off in our life.
Why, you ask, do we need quiet and silence? Because it is rare for God to raise His voice. It is rare that God thunders His commands or sends lightning bolts to get our attention. God is not a screamer or a yeller and has no interest in competing with the noise of this world. Instead, God garners our attention with a whisper. He invites, He calls, He uses our name. He encourages, challenges, and reconciles with a voice that reveals that we have nothing to fear. The creator of heaven and earth doesn’t need a distinctive sound, a microphone, or a backup band, His voice, His word, encourages us, with compassion and love, to come to Him.
The greatest divine whisper is when God takes on flesh and becomes one of us. He sends His Son into the world not riding on a comet or accompanied by a host of angels, but in the quiet of the night, in a stable, entering the world like every one of us has. He says his Word not as weapon but as a whisper that radiates love, mercy, compassion. He whispers the Word of salvation to a world suffering from a cacophony of false prophets proclaiming the “easy” way to be happy.
While there may not be any place on earth that is completely silent there are many places that invite us to come into the quiet. Certainly, we can set up these oases in our home. We do this intentionally by distinguishing this quiet space from our resting place: a quiet corner, a beautiful view, a comfy chair, and a prayer. Or we can take ourselves to our spiritual home, our church. Churches are quiet most of every day. Even with the passing traffic and the chirping birds, we know that we have left the world behind when we step into this sacred space. Spending time with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, at adoration or in front of the tabernacle, is the best way I know to hear the Whisper of God which is none other than Jesus.
I am a big fan of the sounds of nature. I even find the conversations of crows to be interesting. I can even, reluctantly, tolerate loud cars and motorcycles. But I know that without a bit of silence every day, without some time of quiet, I am missing out on a wonderful conversation with God. We all need to keep in mind that God who created us simply because He loves us, and He wants a relationship with us. He is calling out to us, He is whispering to us, He is saying, come to me, be quiet, listen and know that I love you.
