This week’s blog is from a 2017 editorial written by, and with the permission of, my cousin Barbara Nurmi. I’m still recuperating from major surgery and not quite up to the task of preparing a blog. Barb is a terrific writer. Take a look!
I have a plaque in my hallway that says, “Make time for quiet moments, as God whispers, and the world is loud.” And this modern world we live in is loud. While Thoreau reflected in the 19th century “the mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation,” James Thurber countered that famous quote by quipping, “Nowadays, most men lead lives of noisy desperation.”
Sound is always on, always there, and this constant noise stresses my body — mentally, physically and spiritually.
I remember, as a child, laying on my back, all alone, watching the sky. There was no sound other than nature while I studied the clouds, looking for shapes and patterns. While I lay there, my mind was free to wander, reflecting on anything and everything. I also remember my dad often sitting in silence in his big easy chair staring off into space. Maybe that’s where some of his wise sayings percolated in his mind.
In today’s modern world, we are virtually bombarded 24/7 by “noise.” You can’t even pump gas without clips of news, entertainment and advertising before your eyes and ears. And it’s not just “sonic” noise—what hits our ears—but also mental “noise”—what comes from constant brain stimulation.
Through our smartphones and other devices, we have endless access to a virtual world that demands our attention. When constant noise becomes the status quo, we become less than we could be.
Consider these quotes:
- Silence is the sleep that nourishes wisdom. – Francis Bacon
- We need it [silence] greatly, in a world that is often too noisy, that does not favor meditation or listening to the voice of God. – Pope Benedict XVI
- Be still, and know that I am God – Psalm 46:10
- Not merely an absence of noise, Real Silence begins when a reasonable being withdraws from the noise in order to find peace and order in his inner sanctuary. – Peter Minard
- Silence is the parent of wise thoughts, the mark of a well composed mind. – John Hunt
If you list all the benefits of silence and meditation, you would find that, among other things, by introducing a little silence into your life, you will become healthier, wiser, more discerning, lead a more peaceful life, and learn to know God.
Barbara Nurmi, former Californian, resides now in Geneseo where she’s enjoying grandchildren, gardening and small town life. Published in the Moline (Illinois) Dispatch / Argus newspaper on September 19, 2017.
Simple Faith 