This silence is not just the absence of noise. It is the very silence from which the world was formed. The miracle is that we have access to this same silence within our own beings, within our own soul.
It takes practice to quiet the mind. On the other side of a quiet mind is the great somber silence.
Several years ago I frequented a Japanese inspired spa. There was a large communal hot tub and a cold plunge. I remember well taking the plunge. The cold water would quite literally leave you breathless. The spa was in the mountains, so the air would be cold when you would come out of the plunge. The exit usually meant either grabbing for a robe or getting right back into the hot water.
What motivates us to take the plunge? Is there something beguiling about the icy water? Do we think that it might not be as cold as we know it to be? Are we seduced?
There are times as I go about my day when the call to prayer and silence is so profound it seems like a seduction. I know that I will give in to the call even when sometimes I would rather not. During those times of strong calling I feel as if I am taking the cold plunge. Is it entirely of my free will? The immersion is so complete that I have to wonder who is doing the calling.
How many times are we faced with a situation that seems so overwhelming that all we have to offer is fear? Perhaps a friend is making decisions that seem strange or unfamiliar to us. Or perhaps there is illness in our family. Any of life’s situations can bring us into this overwhelming state of fear.
The challenge is to sit with the fear, accept it, let it overwhelm you, but without immediate action. My guess is that the fear will turn into prayer for the person or situation.
The calm of prayer will replace the anxiety of the fear.
I was at my favorite food coop last night. I had a lively discussion with the manager about the volume of the music. I told him that at times it was so loud that I couldn’t concentrate on my grocery list and just wanted to leave. He was a good listener and said that he would turn the volume down and bring it to someone’s attention. They were very busy and I did not give it too much more thought and went about my business. I was standing in the vitamin aisle and all of a sudden my entire body relaxed and just melted into the floor. They had turned down the music. Then something magical happened. I could hear this cacophony of human voices and the sounds of a bustling market. It really was magical.
Are the sounds of life drowning in noise?
I had tea yesterday with a cherished long time friend. She introduced me to this wonderful tea shop. As we were sitting there catching up over our pot of tea I was experiencing so many different levels of our fellowship. The tea was wonderful and it reminded me of the calm that is so lacking in our everyday busyness. The tea brings you down, but in a very good way. The taste and the smoothness, the aroma. The subtlety of the small tea cups and the small portion of tea. The “just right” temperature of the water and the “just right” steeping time.
Do we long for “just right”? Can we find that place in our soul that is “just right”? I often see that place as water finding its level. Still water that is disturbed slightly will find its level relatively quickly. In contrast, the oceans after a hurricane are disturbed for a much longer time. We may have to walk through a lot of pain and discomfort to find the “just right” place, but it is there to be found. Pray for patience and perseverance.
My Labyrinth Journey 