Embracing Silence

St. Augustine once said, “You made us for yourself oh Lord; and our own hearts are restless until they rest in you.”

Similarly, French philosopher Blaise Pascal believed, “the worst torture for modern man is to be quiet and alone in a room.”

What this means:

1.    Our hearts are created to be united with God; that is the whole reason He breathed life into us in the first place. 

2.    When we sit in silence, we reflect on our lives and feel that longing within our hearts.

3.    When we are separated from God by mortal sin we hate the silence because it reminds us that no matter how much stuff we buy or how many friends we have, there is still a feeling of loneliness.   

4.    Silence also allows us to realize what misguided parts of our life we need to change, but often find it impossible to do so.

We have two choices:

5a. Fill the silence up with the constant noise of people, music, books, TV, electronics, etc.

5b. Embrace the silence, start speaking with God; listening to your own heart as it tries to lead you down a new path towards eternal happiness.

6a. If you take the first path, you will never feel complete and will constantly try to fill yourself with the next best thing; seeking to fit a square peg into the circular sized hole in your heart that longs for its Creator.

6b. If you take the second path, you may experience some hard realizations, some bumpy times and big changes, but after these alterations in your life, you will be able to embrace the silence (you will seek the silence). At last, your heart will be at rest, embracing and returning God’s love.  You will finally experience peace, knowing that no matter where life leads you or what it brings you, God will be there next to you, guiding you through the storm, which is what truly matters.