Stillness and silence should be child's play

By Mary Morrell

"Silence is the language of God; It is also the language of the heart." ~ Dag Hammerskjold

Did you ever really watch a child playing a video game? Now that's a site for a home movie! Even though they never leave the room those video kids develop habits that keep them in constant motion.

In my house we have one whose tongue flicks in and out like a lizard every few seconds and another who brushes imaginary hair out of his eyes every minute or so; a third rocks back and forth in his chair so often that he's left marks in the carpet and a fourth does more head bobbing that a professional boxer.

I never would have made it playing video games as a kid.

My habit was sitting still - a strange habit for a child, I know, but none the less, at least several times a day I would just stop what I was doing and sit down and be quiet, sometimes for minutes, sometimes for a half-hour or more.

When my parents would notice me sitting on the edge of my bed or on a step or in a chair with no TV or radio or book they would ask what I was doing. I would answer, "Nothing," and they would go about their work and leave me in peace.

As I grew older, I came to learn that those moments of doing nothing were really the most important moments I would spend because they were moments of becoming aware - of myself, of all the beautiful things created by God, and most importantly, I was becoming aware of God.

Something called me to those moments of stillness, as I continue to be called to them today. But I am not unique. I was just blessed as a child to be in a place where times of silence were valued and encouraged and so I heard the call. Today's world, today's home, is so full of noise that it is no wonder our children, and we, cannot hear God calling us to stillness.

Now, in addition to blaring television shows and even louder commercials, thumping music and the battle cries of video games, we are treated to the ringing of cell phones and the often obtrusive chattering of their owners. They follow us everywhere - when we go out for a quiet dinner, into the library or bookstore, in the supermarket, even into church.

Should we doubt the importance of stillness and silence in our prayer life we need only look to Jesus, who continually went away to a solitary place be in silent communion with his Father. He understood that such time was necessary to garner the strength to fulfill his mission of salvation.

God seekers in every religious tradition know the importance of silence and stillness. Mohandas K.Gandhi wrote: "Silence is a great help to a seeker after truth. In the attitude of silence the soul finds the path in a clearer light and what is elusive and deceptive resolves itself into crystal clearness. Our life is a long and arduous quest after Truth, and the soul requires inward restfulness to attain its full height."

Of course, the One who is calling us is more to the point: "Be still, and know that I am God."

______________________________________

Mary Morrell is the Associate Director of the Office of Religious Education for the Diocese of Metuchen, NJ, and the mother of six sons. She is also the author of Angels in High Top Sneakers from Loyola Press; Things My Father Taught Me, a bi-weekly column that appears in several Catholic newspapers, I'll Walk With God, a monthly newsletter published by the Metuchen Diocesan Office of Religious Education, and a writer for Real Faith TV, produced by the Diocese of Trenton, Office of Communication.

Contact

Diocese of Metuchen
http://www.diometuchen.org NJ, US
Mary Morrell - associate director of religious education, 732 562-1990

Email

mmorrell@diometuchen.org

Keywords

silence

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