Ours is a noisy age, the age of the machine. Buses and lorries roar their bulk along our streets. The trains crash their way over and under-ground. Road-drills split the air with their penetrating din as they stab and bite into the asphalt. The nerves of the harassed town-dweller cry out for the peace and quietness of the countryside, away from the din of main roads and railway lines. But through the clamour and strife of our restless and noisy age the calm, clear Word of the Lord comes down to us: ‘Be still, and know that I am God’. God loves to speak in silence. It was in the awesome silence of the Arabian desert that Moses was prepared for his great life work. It was in the silence of the same desolate region that Paul was taught many important lessons. It is precious to speak to the Lord; it is still more precious to be silent before Him and hear Him speaking to us. We live in an overcrowded age; it is difficult to get alone, and some are bored with their own company. If we are so bored with our own company that we avoid it, have we the right to inflict it upon others?
Solitude, stillness and silence we must have if our inner spiritual life is to be recharged and refreshed. The deepest convictions are usually born in the silence of solitude. In such quiet moments we give God the opportunity to speak to us. Let us beware of impatience; it takes time to get into a state of soul when spiritual things can take effect and leave a lasting impression. If we are to be men and women of maturing Christian character we must like Mary, find time to sit down at the feet of Jesus and hear His word. Thus only shall we develop that serenity and joy in God which is the hallmark of a truly godly life.
