Lent is silence.
Lent is silence of the "me me me" voice that pervades our culture.
Lent is silence of the clamoring voices that tell us who to be and how to be.
Lent is silence of things that are good but often distracting.
Lent is silence of our false self that so often insinuates itself to the forefront of our relationships with others and our relationship with God.
When we repent, when we "rend our hearts," we uncover that humility and simplicity, that silence in which our souls find God. It is when we turn aside from focusing on so many of the "noisy" things that creep into our lives--cars, clothes, music, "stuff," that our hearts grow close to Him. This is the essence of silence, contemplation, Lent.
Thomas Merton wrote:
To the truly humble man the ordinary ways and customs and habits of men are not a matter for conflict. The saints do not get excited about the things that people eat and drink, wear on their bodies, or hang on the walls of their houses. To make conformity or nonconformity with others in these accidents a matter of life and death is to fill your interior life with confusion and noise. Ignoring all this as indifferent, the humble man takes whatever there is in the world that helps him to find God and leaves the rest aside. (New Seeds of Contemplation)So as we walk through this season sometimes taken for granted, often ignored, I'm seeking to find the heart of Lent--humility, silence, laying aside what will not help me find God. I hope it will strengthen me as a contemplative...as a follower of Christ.
--Sarah Price
4 comments:
Wow! Very powerful and very beautiful posting. Thank you! I love so much of what you said. This point of yours goes to the heart of what we are trying to address as a community: "Lent is silence of our false self that so often insinuates itself to the forefront of our relationships with others and our relationship with God." Thank you for your investment in our community being what God wants it to be, to our becoming/being our "true selves."
--Rickey Cotton
I agree. Beautifully put. I was not at my church this past Sunday but I heard that my pastor preached on fasting. I asked if he mentioned lent. No. I didn't think he would have. The particular tradition I attend church with really misses out (I think) by ignoring the "church" calendar. A blend of ignorance and fear? Anyway, as result I am a little behind on things like lent. So I appreciate your post doubly. -- Paul Corrigan
Thanks Sarah. I enjoyed reading your post. I'm looking at dedicating Holy Saturday as a complete day of Silence, and spending much of it at church in prayer and meditation.
This was worth waiting for. Thanks so much for writing. I particularly welcomed the reminder that "Lent is silence of things that are good but often distracting." This is certainly true in my life. My prayer is to "let go" more and more.Thanks again for this thoughtful, beautiful reflection.
Anna
Post a Comment