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Silence can be profound in its ability to recharge one’s mind and soul


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FOOD FOR THOUGHT

I wonder if you remember The Sound of Silence, written by Paul Simon. The lyrics, if you look them up on the internet, are profound and, as ever, are applicable to this current time as they were in 1964.

The lyrics can be summed up as relating to various states of dejection, with people walking in continual silence thinking their voices will never be heard. In my other articles for Food for Thought, I stated that there are ways and means through which you can talk, be listened to, and that your experiences are valid.

There is another way, however, of listening to this track. One where the silence is positive. There are not many people in this world who might delight in silence, or would happily embrace it. However, silence or stillness is an aspect of the contemplative spirituality of many different religions. Certainly, in Christianity we are invited by the Church to reflect at different stages of our lives.

As a priest I am expected to take a retreat at least once a year to refocus on my inner spirituality. That time has just passed. The only difference this year is that I had to make space at home to have that retreat. Silence for me is about switching off the computer and the radio and being intentional in not talking to others. Stillness, on the other hand, is found when I sit on the beach, listening to the waves or birds.

Silence can be profound in its ability to recharge one’s mind and soul. One does not need to combine the two, though one may lead to the other. Recharging one’s soul can take place through different activities. The caveat is that your choice of activity should be uplifting, mindful and restorative. And remember: what you are doing at any one time is the most important thing in your life at that moment.

Rev Ellie Charman

Scottish Episcopal Church

www.northernepiscopalians.com


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