beWARM

Who would have ever thought that the lack of sound would become a rare and precious commodity?

Evidently, some folks in Ocean City, New Jersey value the lack of noise enough to host a Quiet Festival, scheduled from November 8-15.  And this event has been going on for 15 years.

Perusing the Festival schedule, I discovered that making and flying paper airplanes, beading, and maple pod spinning were among some of the offerings. I can’t remember the last time I tried to make a maple pod twirl…if ever.

I suppose that total silence would be an unrealistic expectation; music and poetry in their gentler forms are interspersed among the activities.

Flying home after a few days amidst the Disney delirium in Orlando was when I read about this quirky event. We bypassed the park this trip, preferring our next encounter with Mickey to be when our grandchildren are of age.

In the Land of Fantasy, a bit of distance from the attractions only slightly diminishes the palpable thrills so readily available.

That must have been why the decibel levels in some restaurants were so high that we were practically shouting to carry on a  conversation.  Though we adjusted to this massive buzzing, it managed to drain our vocal resources by the end of the evenings.

Why does loudness seem to be the norm nowadays? Television, movies, and sporting events have all cranked up the volume.

Is this what people really want? Or is our affinity for noise just masking our fear of silence?

I long more and more to be able to hear myself think.

Silence and solitude give me that opportunity – and, even better, help me to listen.

Add contemplative prayer to the mix, and – wonder of wonders – the voice of God enters in.

The prevailing calm soothes, the mind fog dissipates.

I breathe…and give thanks to the God who restores peace, banishing confusion.

There is greater satisfaction in these moment of nothingness than in accomplishing every task I had on my to-do list.

I applaud the organizers of the Quiet Festival; they are trying to counteract the effects of our over-stimulated and noisy world. Since getting to New Jersey next week isn’t too likely for any of us, I encourage you to have a festival of your own.

Be more mindful of silence and stillness.  Think about how you can add some to your day.

Maybe you can even treat yourself to some quiet time with God.

Why does God use silence to touch us? Because God is not domineering and does not ordinarily force people to pay attention to Him. We become so busy running our lives that we become oblivious to the Spirit of God. ~ Jan Johnson, When the Soul Listens

Search for the Lord and for His strength; continually seek Him. ~Psalm 105:4