We have so much going on in our lives, we often don't take any time to stop, to pause, to "smell the roses", or to simply : "Be Silent".

You have heard the song say : "Silence is Golden", and another one say: "Listen, to the Sound....of Silence." But do we really appreciate the value of Silence?

See that space above? Did you think it was EMPTY? Did you think that the emptiness was a mistake? or an omission?

But was it REALLY empty? Or, was it simply... SPACE?

And the word SPACE - what does that evoke? Does that mean emptiness? Does it mean nothingness?

Think about SPACE... in the terms of the Universe. The Universe is not empty, but it does have a lot of SPACE. But SPACE is not empty. It can simply mean ROOM. It can contain things, and some very big things!

Similarly, SILENCE does not necessarily equal emptiness. You can have Silence, but be FULL.

A conundrum isn't it!

So Silence isn't necessarily empty, and it might be full, but what it doesn't have, is a lot of sound. You know, the kind of noisiness, that busyness, that reflection of activity, that generally fills our lives. We don't always notice but all the sounds and activity of life can drown out what is basic to our lives. Noise can drown out the important things, such as thought, and reflection, and reason.

Thought, reflection, and reason are not empty. However, they sometimes exist best in SILENCE.

In a similar way, spirituality also may exist best in SILENCE. The thought, the reflection, the meditation, that is best achieved when the distractions of the world are put to one side, and when they can be properly considered without the competition of THINGS! But spirituality doesn't mean that someone is empty of thought, does it? There just might be some thoughts, some concepts, that are huge, but cannot be heard when they are drowned out by the multitude of voices that shout out over top.

Why did Jesus go into the desert? Why did he fast for so long? Why did any of the Saints separate themselves from the World?

There are so many distractions in our lives, and, at this time in humanity, probably even more distractions than the Saints ever had! Temptations, worries, responsibilities. The horrible, the ordinary, and the joyful, realities of life. Yes, Life throws it all at us! Some of us cope with it, some of us excel in it, and some of us drown in it.

But maybe we need a bit of SILENCE to gain perspective. Maybe we need a bit of SILENCE to recharge. Maybe we need a bit of SILENCE to stay sane!

SILENCE is golden. It is a time to reflect, to recharge, and to even repent, and to rebuild. Sometimes we need space and time without distractions to get down to basics, and to confront our weaknesses, challenges, and to work on our dreams.

If you are reading this, the likelihood is that you recognise the importance of silence. And, if you have got to this point, you are also thinking about using quiet time for reflection and for thinking. You are probably realising that Silence is a language too, and one that is not often listened to. Silence is golden, but too few people are buying it.

I would encourage you to buck the trend, and buy into silence. You will probably have to invest some time into it. To listen to the sounds of silence, and to stretch your thinking. Expand your thinking. Don't limit yourself to your daily life and the problems you face, but think about Eternity. Is Eternity empty space? Or is it something that can be full?

I am convinced that most Christians would believe in an eternity that is full and fulfilling. And it isn't a matter of filling the space of eternity with noise. Believe it or not, Silence can be fulfilling. Value it, and use it, and pray God, He will talk to you through it.

Some graphic elements on this blog were sourced from Freepik.com