Do You Need the Sounds of Silence?

Where can a fella experience the sounds of silence in this noisy world? Inside our living spaces, a cacophony of voices screams in our ears. Outside we encounter noisy traffic chasing away the sounds of nature. Even earbuds cannot bring tranquility. Yet silence promises to settle our hearts.

Confronted by Noise

When I stepped into the pit in NASCAR’s 24-Hour Daytona Race, the roar of racecar engines overwhelmed me. Once the race started, no one dared enter the pit without ear protection. However, most noise levels we experience, though distracting, fall below the level of that event.

Henri Nouwen, a Christian writer, wrote to remind us:

There was a time when silence was normal, and a lot of racket disturbed us. But today, noise is the normal fare, and silence, strange as it may seem, has become the real disturbance… perhaps we should say that we can’t stand the sound of silence.

Chris R. Glaser, Henri’s Mantle: 100 Meditations on Nouwen’s Legacy, Day Forty-Four Holding Ourselves in Silence

In recent months, the news has bombarded us with stories of the pandemic, protests, and politics. What was routine in our daily lives has succumbed to the unpredictable. Negotiating our way through the familiar stretches our nerves with anxiety about the unknown. More than ever, we need the therapy of the sounds of silence. 

The Guinness Book of Records tells us the quietest place on earth is in Redmond, Washington. There, Microsoft’s anechoic chamber has a background noise reading of -10 decibels. I suspect my tinnitus would prevent me from recognizing the silence even inside the lab. 

Search for the Sounds of Silence

The search for silence invites us to venture to the Middle East. Three of the world’s great religions began there. Israel discovered God in Sinai, Mohammed, in Arabia, and both Jesus and Paul spent inspirational time in the wilderness. However, with modernization, the sounds of tourists and travel would chase away the windswept quiet. Perhaps an adventure into the Saudi Arabian desert city of Madain Saleh would expose us to the overwhelming quietness of a rarely traveled locale. But who could make such a trip?

On the other hand, maybe we can locate a park, countryside, lake, or hiking trail. There, with the wind in our face, and hopefully, birds in the air and a minimum of insects, we can enjoy wind rustling leaves or clouds racing to their destination. In the muted tranquility of nature, perhaps the still small voice of God can whisper his peace into our souls.

Find God in the Quiet Places

Augustine discovered God was,

… closer to me than I am to myself.

Confessions 3.6.11, somewhat freely translated

Before Augustine could write, he had to learn the practice of silence to engage the heart of God. Yet, God was with him all along. 

Within the four walls of my home, I need to shut off the noisemakers to reduce the decibels confronting me. And I need not turn on the television or engage devices to settle my soul. I see nature from my window or I can take a walk in the nearby woods. Sometimes just sitting in the silence of the outside world speaks a language without words to my soul.

Make Room for the Sounds of Silence

When the calendar flips to November, a holiday spirit stirs within us. Then to-do lists require our attention, and demands come at us from many directions. And, if we are not careful, we can let the season slip through our fingers without making time to allow our souls to connect with God. As the sounds of the season fill the airwaves, make time for the sounds of silence to whisper peace in your soul.