Week Forty: Stillness & Silence. October 1 – The Sound of Silence
Silence brings us back to the center where we can hear the whisper of God. Henri Nouwen
Gregg’s Reflection
One of the things that people find off-putting when they visited us at Eagle Peak was the silence. Most people never encounter silence in their busyness. Yet, scripture tells us, “Be still, and know I am God.” The sounds of silence are the quiet whispers of God’s voice, which is lost in the noise.
When I first listened to Simon and Garfunkel’s The Sound of Silence, I heard only a haunting melody. But now, decades later, I hear it as a mystical text. It speaks of visions softly creeping, of words emerging where least expected, of prophets whispering in the midst of ordinary streets. The song’s poetry points toward the mystery that silence holds—an invitation to listen deeply.
In my own journey, the most profound shifts have not come from sermons or speeches, but from the quiet, unguarded moments of stillness before God. Silence has become the place where God’s faint path emerges—subtle, fragile, but unmistakably real. It is there that I have heard the still small voice guiding my life toward surrender, trust, and deeper love.
Scripture reminds us that Elijah did not find God in the wind, the earthquake, or the fire, but in the gentle whisper that followed. That whisper was not loud, but it was real—and it changed everything. I wonder how often we miss God’s voice because our lives are filled with clamor.
Silence is not passive; it is the ground where God’s Spirit breathes in us. To sit in silence is to practice listening for the One who has been speaking all along. In a world consumed by noise, silence becomes both refuge and revelation.
Scripture
The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.” Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.
1 Kings 19:11-13
The Lord is in his holy temple; let all the earth keep silence before him.
Habakkuk 2:20
Ancient Quotes
The friend of silence comes close to God.
St. John Climacus, The Ladder of Divine Ascent, Step 27
Silence is God’s speech.
Meister Eckhart, Sermon on the Eternal Birth
Modern Quotes
In silence God ceases to be an object and becomes an experience.
Thomas Merton, Dialogues with Silence
Silence brings us back to the center where we can hear the whisper of God.
Henri Nouwen, The Way of the Heart
Journaling Prompts
- When have you most clearly experienced God in silence?
- What “noise” in your life most often keeps you from hearing God’s whisper?
- How might you create space today to sit quietly before God?
- What visions or words have you received in silence that still guide you?
Go deeper into this week’s theme:
Read the full Week 40 Reflection: Stillness & Silence