Mark Wenz
“My soul doth wait in the silence
To hear what the Lord will say.” —Clarence Edward Flynn
“In the silence of the heart, God speaks.” —Mother Teresa
We live in a noisy world. The constant clank, buzz, and yowl of city life, for me, are annoying. Cars zooming by, airplanes roaring overhead, yard blowers blaring, construction sounds clanking—all of these permeate our urban lives. We may attempt to shut them out, yet these sounds inevitably desensitize us.
In addition to unavoidable sounds, some of us actually choose to subject ourselves to loud, intrusive noise. Sporting events, television, movies, and concerts often generate an unhealthy level of stridency. I used to enjoy attending baseball games in which the only noises were the cheering (or jeering) of the crowd and the organ accompaniment of “Take Me Out to the Ballgame.” Now, the amplified shouts of announcers and promoters and the incessant blaring of music ruin the atmosphere for me. Television shows themselves aren’t necessarily annoying, but the commercials that interrupt the shows, which basically shout at you, ruin my enjoyment of the shows. At the movies, the previews, with their cacophony of explosions, screams, roars, and overly amplified music, are enough to drive me out to the lobby. And why do some live music acts amplify their sounds to levels resulting in ringing ears for hours after the show? Lately, I simply avoid these insanely noisy environments.
The noises inside our heads prevent us from inner peace as well. For some of us, the chatter inside our brains is incessant. We often find it difficult, if not impossible, to still our minds.
What to do? For me, enjoying nature in remote places is a great setting for silencing the noise. Even here in Sun Lakes, I love getting up at sunrise and listening to the sounds of birds singing their songs. Early morning walks on the many walking paths here in Sun Lakes afford an opportunity to tune into the sounds of nature. I can often mute the chatter in my head during these walks by repeating this mantra over and over in my mind: “I am a beacon of light and love in this world.” Concentrating on this simple message again and again focuses me and helps me travel inward, where I listen to my intuition and luxuriate in stillness.
The best way to silence the noise, however, is through meditation and prayer. The words of Dr. Judson Brewer express this process most eloquently: “The soft voice of our true inner nature speaks from the heart, not the head. To hear the voice entails a process of moving inward. First, we turn away from the outer noise. We then move past the inner noise of the critical thinking mind. Finally, we arrive at the spaciousness of the heart, where we listen with the whole body and not just the ears.”
Inner peace exists in the silence, where our intuition abides and our connection to God resides.