Don't just do something, sit there.

Be.

Doing can be a way to run away from ourselves, from others and from God. Silence and solitude call us to be present…fully present…in a way we seldom are. This can be difficult, because we know, intuitively, that we may not like what we discover. We experience God-with-us (Immanuel) in silence, which also means discovering us-with-God, which isn't always so pretty. But that is precisely the place we get in touch with reality, and that, if we're willing to embrace it, equips us to live fully in the world, without illusion, without self-delusion.

I'm learning to be there and not be scared. Even though there is much there that is unknown, I do believe that God is going to be there, just as always. And do I trust the presence of God? Then no matter what surfaces, it will be okay. I will be okay.

Silence on our part indicates an openness to transformation. The more we think and talk, the less opportunity God has to lead us into new territory. I often imagine God just waiting until I stop talking.

As the Taoists say, "To the mind that is still, the world surrenders."

Think of it as a spirituality of shutting up.

Text and image © 2010 by Dirk deVries. All rights reserved.