Lent 2014 – Devotion 28

A group recently rented the church for a day long spiritual retreat. Arrangements were made for the event. The day of the gathering a request was made for wifi access. This is not a problem as there is wifi at the church but I found myself contemplating that request.

To me, a spiritual retreat is about connecting with God and with our spiritual selves. It is a time for introspection and inspiration. While there are many resources on the web for spiritual inspiration I would not want to involve technology, and certainly not the web, on a spiritual retreat. For one thing, while the web is a source of much that is good, efficient, and helpful, it is also symbolic of overstimulation, too many choices, and too much information. To me, a retreat is a time to disconnect from those kinds of things to create space to connect with the Spirit. A retreat is a time to unplug.

When we make the space for God to come into our lives, our spirits are fed. In the New Testament we are told again and again of Jesus going off to pray, going off by himself. In solitude and silence he opened himself to being filled with God. That enabled him to serve, forgive, heal, and help. We get accustomed to constant stimulation and connection; the TV is on, the radio is on, we can stream from our phones and computers, we can receive and send messages anytime and anywhere. Can God be in all of this? Of course. Can our connecting be a way to express divine love. Yes. But there is always a place for silence, solitude, reflection, and contemplation – unplugged.

I have spoken with church people who are uncomfortable with silence. They say they don’t know what to do. It is disturbing and uncomfortable. I think there may even be a fear of silence. My spouse had a step grandmother who lived near a grove by a lake in central Florida. When we went to see her years ago, she made it clear in no uncertain terms that no doors were ever to be left open at all. Period. We got a long lecture about what could come in if you were not vigilant. Lizards. Squirrels. Raccoons. Rats. Snakes. Alligators. And that was just getting started! Maybe some people are afraid of quiet and silence because who knows what might creep in if you leave some room! What ideas or dreams or attitudes or visions might sneak in? If you make sure to have something going into your mind all of the time – from radio, TV, internet, entertainment, written material, conversation – then you are choosing what you are exposed to and you think you have the control. It’s harder to control silence which is another reason people may be afraid of quiet.

One way to work on feeling more comfortable with silence is to start small. Give it three minutes or five minutes a day. Over time, work up to ten minutes. This is the way we approach exercise. Begin small and build up. This is one way to become more comfortable connecting with God and with your inner self through quiet.

And if some time in silence simply will not work for you but you do want to feel more connected to God, then try service. Volunteer. Help someone. Give of yourself. And you will feel yourself part of a bigger picture, a larger reality. God will find you.

Prayer: This Lenten season is a time for quiet and contemplation. May we overcome our fears of silence. May we give up our need for control. May we make room for the Spirit in our lives and be open to where the adventure takes us! Amen.