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Learning to embrace silence
Imagine a space where you are free to explore your questions and get in touch with the deep parts of your soul – all without the distractions and clamoring of the external world.
Surprisingly, this space is all around us and it is not overly difficult to access, but it is easy to miss it in the bustling rhythm of daily life. The space? Silence.
Silence is a gateway
The benefits of silence are profound, especially for those seeking spiritual connection. In the Christian faith, particularly within the United Methodist tradition, silence is more than the mere absence of sound, it is a gateway to deeper spiritual understanding. For spiritual seekers, stillness offers a kind sanctuary, a place where practitioners move past the distractions of the world and allow their souls to connect with something deeper.
Silence fosters a sense of inner peace that transcends the superficial tranquility offered by temporary escapes. In the quietude, one finds a rare opportunity to confront and soothe the inner tumult that often goes unaddressed. In the stillness, the whispers of the Holy Spirit become audible, guiding and enlightening the seeker on their path. We often become most clear-headed in the midst of silence.
Silence isn’t easy, but it’s worth it
Many of us have a Pavlovian response to silence. When we encounter it, we immediately want to respond with noise or activity. We’ve been culturally programmed to believe that silence is not productive. Some of us are uncomfortable with silence because we fear deep introspection and what it might possibly reveal to us – we don’t want to look that deeply into ourselves.
Leaning into silence is worth the effort. The absence of noise reduces the body's stress response, leading to a more relaxed state. Less stimuli equate to a decreased need for our bodies to respond. This relaxed state can help reduce overall stress, restore cognitive resources that get exhausted by constant distraction, and lower blood pressure and heart rates.
Silence can enhance mindfulness and promote a state of reflective introspection, which is beneficial for emotional health. It allows individuals to focus on the present moment and gain a deeper understanding of their emotions and thoughts.
Much like Elijah encountered in 1 Kings 19 (when he finally heard the soft voice of God in the quiet of solitude), we can encounter a deeper sense of God’s presence when we cultivate space for silence as part of our spiritual journey.
Learn to cultivate silence
You will never be able to eliminate all noise from your environment, and it is often unfair to insist that others adapt their habits or lifestyles to accommodate your need for silence. However, there are ways to introduce more silence into your life:
Identify sanctuary spaces. Think of accessible physical locations in your life that conjure feelings of quietude. These should be set aside for the purpose of encountering silence and deep thought. Maybe there is a room in your home or a park near your neighborhood that is silent for a portion of the day. Many church buildings have prayer chapels. Make it a practice to regularly visit these silent sanctuaries in your life.
Set personal boundaries. Silence is the absence of noise, so look for the noisy devices in your surroundings and distance yourself for a short time. Try placing your phone out of reach for 30 minutes and release your need to immediately respond to calls, texts and emails.
Schedule your silence. Many of us move through our lives on pretty tight schedules. Look at your day and find a consistent time you can set aside for the experience of silence. Make a meeting with yourself to have a silent encounter.
Give yourself something to do. Silence does not necessarily lack activity. It is perfectly acceptable to give yourself something to do in your silent space. A guided spiritual practice, meditation or contemplative prayer will make full use of the silence and provide a platform for diving deeper into a spiritual experience.
Some recommended practices for your silent experiences:
Rev. Ryan Dunn (he/hime) is a Minister of Online Engagement for United Methodist Communications in Nashville, TN. Ryan has a background in youth and young adults ministry as well as online content development. He hosts and produces the Compass Podcast and Pastoring in the Digital Parish Podcast and develops digital content for Rethink Church.
