Spiritual renewal is available right under our noses this Lent, writes Jason Osborne
Lent may pose a challenge for us this year – what more is there to give up? We’re already devoid of so much, it may seem that giving up more is the last thing that God could be asking of us. However, as Jesus told the rich young man in Matthew’s Gospel, everything has to be given up in order to gain heaven – it’s not enough to go most of the way.
What I’m proposing, both for myself and for others this Lent, is to give up on noise and distraction; in other words, to enter into silence, insofar as our respective situations and settings allow us. In doing so, we’re not only ‘giving things up’, which we so often limit Lent to. We’re giving ourselves the chance to take up greater freedom than ever before, by developing discipline, concentration and most importantly, a deeper prayer life.
Universal appeal
Before discussing the premium the Church has always placed on silence, it’s worth noting the increased appeal silence has come to hold in our oh-so-noisy world. Books on the benefits of silence and stillness have boomed in many genres, whether they be light, ‘self-help’ books, or deeper, more philosophical treatments of the topic.
Research has also achieved a greater insight into the topic, with many findings and discoveries seeping into the public awareness, such as:
-Noise pollution’s detrimental effect on our health, with a number of reports linking exposure to noise pollution to higher blood pressure, heart disease, and tinnitus.
-Exposure to continuous noise affects our stress levels by raising adrenaline.
-Exposure to silence has been observed to lower blood pressure and increase blood flow to the brain.
-Exposure to silence before bed, and the minimisation of distraction, is linked to a better night’s sleep.
These are just a selection of the findings that have migrated into the realm of common sense, and there are many more. The popularity of the practice of ‘mindfulness’ is also traceable to an increased understanding of the importance of silence and stillness.
Stillness
Silence is often linked with stillness, especially in the Church’s tradition. However, in today’s world, this knowledge has resulted from a better understanding of the detrimental effects of excessive distraction, being distracted as never before with smartphones, social media, and instant access to most films, TV and more.
I don’t know how many times I’ve opened my laptop to accomplish some task, only to be waylaid by YouTube, Twitter or Facebook. I also know I’m not the only one, with friends and peers suffering from the same plight. Whether it be Netflix or video games, the scope for instant escapism from the task at hand has never been greater.
An awareness of the necessity of stillness arises not so much from an awareness of the need to slow down physically, but rather from an awareness of the need to slow down mentally and spiritually. Opening new windows on a laptop or phone every few minutes or seconds, swapping rapidly between videos and articles on different topics, and cycling the news endlessly (particularly when the news is as grim as it is), has unrivalled potential to set our minds racing, which is especially noticeable before bed.
Noise
C.S. Lewis in The Screwtape Letters outlined a conversation between two demons, which went, “We will make the whole universe a noise in the end. We have already made great strides in this direction as regards the Earth”. It is here that we hit upon the real harm and damage done by noise and ceaseless distraction – it has spiritual effects. Lost in the cacophony, we find it near impossible to hear God’s voice and follow his direction.
Of course, the spiritual effects of noise are the most severe, and it is those that we are most trying to mitigate in making an effort to grow in silence during Lent. Lent being modelled upon Jesus’ 40 days in the wilderness, we seek to emulate him in his asceticism and prayer, in the hope that we’ll stride forth empowered, as he did.
The Church and silence
The Church has always upheld silence as one of the primary settings for encountering God, and this is set down first and foremost in Scripture. The prophet Elijah hears God in “a still, small voice” upon Mount Horeb, following gusts of wind, an earthquake and fire. Moses went up on the mountain alone to enter into dialogue with God, just as Jesus would travel into the wilderness, first during the 40 days, then at various times throughout his public ministry.
There is nothing so much like God in all the universe as silence”
Cardinal Robert Sarah comments on this in his book The Power of Silence: Against the Dictatorship of Noise. He says, “No prophet ever encountered God without withdrawing into solitude and silence. Moses, Elijah, and John the Baptist encountered God in the great silence of the desert. Today, too, monks seek God in solitude and silence. I am speaking, not just about a geographical solitude or movement, but about an interior state. It is not enough to be quiet, either. It is necessary to become silence.”
Why would we want to become silence? Because, as Meister Eckhart is widely quoted as saying, “There is nothing so much like God in all the universe as silence”. If we want to become like him this Lent, we have to be silent.
Trust
Silence is above all about trust and humility. Much of the reason we’re so busy, active and distracted is because we don’t really trust God to take care of everything if he’s left to his own devices. To slow down, to cease your restless efforts, without becoming lazy, is to cast your life into God’s hands. As Psalm 46:10 says, “Be still, and know that I am God”.
If we wish to see God’s action in our lives, we have to make space for him. This is a lesson Moses and the Israelites learned the hard way as they fled Egypt and Pharaoh’s forces. Panicked as they were about the pursuit, God tells them in Exodus 14:14, “The Lord will fight for you and you have only to be still”.
Practicalities
So how do we trust God more, just as the prophets did, and as so many continue to do around the world today? By stepping back and trusting that our lives, and the world, won’t fall apart if we’re not constantly ‘plugged in’. A couple of Lenten resolutions that might result in better health, both physical and spiritual, include:
-Giving up social media, Netflix, and/or TV.
-Only checking the news on a weekly basis.
-Taking up ‘slower’ activities, like reading, painting, walking, etc.
-Practicing a daily holy hour.
-Incorporating silence into your day, whether by leaving your earphones behind, or by engaging in silent, contemplative prayer.
-Turning off electronics after a certain time of the night.
These practical steps, when aligned with a deep prayer life, should lead us closer to God over the 40 days of Lent. Of course, our ability to take up or drop activities and practices depends on our personal situations, but any effort in God’s direction is always rewarded.