Apr 19, 2024 |
WLSU, Silent Conversion
| The Rev. Philip DeVaul
WLSU, Silent Conversion
My relationship with silence is complicated. I know silence is important. I know it’s healthy. I know silence is conducive to prayer and meditation, to peace and reflection. I also just really like noise of all kinds. I like the sound of things happening, I like hearing people talking. Even when they’re not talking to me: I like to go places where people are talking to each other and just hear different voices and snippets of different conversations. I love all accents – even the ones you think are ugly.
Mostly I love music. It is playing most of the time I am awake, and even when at bedtime I often play music very quietly. My entire sophomore year of college my roommate and I fell asleep to the same album every night. It was Bob Dylan’s World Gone Wrong.
I would not say I’m afraid of silence – at least I don’t think I am. I even enjoy it sometimes. But I forget about it. I forget silence is an option.
I think I’m about to remember. As you are reading this I am on sabbatical. Don’t worry: I’m not working. I wrote this before I left. But the very first thing I’m doing during this sabbatical is going on a 4-day silent retreat. Four whole days without talking to anyone or listening to anyone. No kids around. No spouse. No work. No music. I will be at a monastery and retreat center in Kentucky called The Abbey of Gethsemani. It is run by Cistercian monks who are apparently very serious about their silence. It’s going to be very quiet.
Maybe I am actually a little afraid.
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