“We need to find God, and He cannot be found in noise and restlessness. God is the friend of silence. See how nature—trees, flowers, grass grow in silence; see the stars, the moon and the sun, how they move in silence … we need silence to be able to touch souls.” (Mother Teresa of Calcutta)

I have just returned from our Year 12 Retreat. Our graduating year go out to three different venues for a two-day retreat where a great variety of activities occur.

The focus is mostly on our students’ personal hopes, dreams and priorities, preparing them for the giant leap into ‘the world’ at the end of the year, but also to ask the big questions of life, to recognise their own gifts and capabilities and reflect on how precious their family ties are.

As chaplains, we had the privilege of leading a morning focusing on creating ‘Space for the Spirit’. I was encouraged, as were my colleagues, to see how seriously most of our young men treated this segment of their time away. We were able to experience just a small snippet of time where we were still and silent and given the opportunity to listen for the ‘still small voice’ of God (1 Kings 19:11–13).

I continue to be struck by the frantic pace and noise of life, especially life in Sydney. Is it possible that we actually shut God out, or our awareness of God’s presence, by such hustle and bustle? If you are anything like me the day starts with noise: for me a variety of alarms (three in fact) that draw me out of my slumber—radio, phone and watch. Then it’s the first shot of coffee (well… double shot) to charge me for the morning, and I’m ready to launch forth into the demanding but invigorating day of life at Newington College.

When do we draw aside and be still? When do we soak in the wonder of quietness and stillness? I wonder how much we might gain if we could set aside just five minutes each day, at some sacred little space in our home or workplace, just to try to relax and be still. I wouldn’t mind betting that there we may well encounter that ‘still small voice’ of God’s Spirit.

“Emptiness is only a disguise for an intimacy of God’s, that God’s silence, the eerie stillness, is filled by the Word without words, by Him who is above all names, by Him who is all in all. And his silence is telling us that He is there.” (Karl Rahner)

David N Williams
Chaplain