The final question concerning our ministry of silence is not whether we say much or little, but whether our words call forth the caring silence of God himself. It is to this silence that we all are called: words are the instrument of the present world, but silence is the mystery of the future world. – The Way of the Heart by Henri Nouwen (page 49)
The phrase “silence is the mystery of the future world” bothers me. The book of Revelation is filled with words from God, with trumpet blasts, and with the songs of the saints. If you attempted to make a movie depicting Revelation I can’t imagine a silent moment in it. At the same time, I can’t imagine a more peaceful place than the new heaven and new earth described in chapters 20 and 21.
I went to the doctor on Monday and had to wait a while. Being a person who thinks he must have input I picked up a Sunset magazine. It was beautiful, filled with images and words laid out in interesting ways, but nothing caught my attention. It seemed like a great many resources went into producing something that had no substance. So, I put it down and just sat in silence. A few minutes later when the medical assistant took my blood pressure is was much lower than normal.
Even if I don’t understand the connection of silence with the future, it does seem that more silence in my life would be a good thing. What about yours?
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