Be still and know that I am God.
~ Psalm 46:10
One of the most important virtues in Christian spirituality that the Church has treasured and cultivated since its inception is silence. Regrettably, this virtue has been almost totally cast aside by the contemporary Church, especially those belonging to the Protestant/Evangelical traditions.
Our prayers—personal and corporate—have become loquacious and tedious, stringing one petition after another, often pausing only to catch our breath.
Our prayers—personal and corporate—have become loquacious and tedious, stringing one petition after another, often pausing only to catch our breath. Even our worship services display that unspoken anxiety and discomfort about silence, as we anxiously try to fill every pause with either music, commentary or activity.
In his 2005 Apostolic Letter, Spiritus et Sponsa (Spirit and Bride), Pope John Paul II explains why it is important for Christians to recover the virtue of silence.
One aspect that we must foster in our communities with greater commitment is the experience of silence. We need silence ‘if we are to accept in our hearts the full resonance of the voice of the Holy Spirit and to unite our personal prayer more closely to the Word of God and the public voice of the Church.’ In a society that lives at an increasingly frenetic pace, often deafened by noise and confused by the ephemeral, it is vital to rediscover the value of silence.1
The emphasis on the discipline of silence can be traced to the earliest Christian writers such as Ignatius of Antioch (35–110) and Clement of Alexandria (150–215). The desert fathers, who lived in hermitic seclusion, such as Anthony the Great (251–356), the pioneer of Christian monasticism, exemplified a life of silent prayer.
In the 14th century, figures such as Gregory of Palamas (1296–1359) placed renewed emphasis on silence with hesychasm (from the Greek hesychia, meaning “stillness” or “silence”), a form of silent contemplation of God.
The principle and value of silence can also be traced to the narratives that are found in the Bible. Silence is portrayed as a medium through which the ineffable God reveals himself amidst the noise and confusion of prevailing circumstances.
The most significant instance of this is the experience of the prophet Elijah in 1 Kings 19:11-13. As the Lord passes by, “a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the Lord” (1 Kings 19:11).
However, we are told that the Lord is not in the wind, the earthquake and the fire. The passage concludes, “after the fire the sound of a low whisper” (1 Kings 19:12). The New Revised Standard Version provides a more direct translation, “after the fire a sound of sheer silence”.
It is in and through this sheer silence that God reveals his presence and purpose.
These early Christian writers used the creation narrative to make this emphasis, pointing out that it was from the deep silence of eternity that God spoke and brought forth the creation. Ignatius of Antioch applies this to the Incarnation when he writes:
There is one God who manifested himself through Jesus Christ his Son, who is his Word, proceeding from silence … (Epistle to the Magnesians, 8).
Silence is at the heart of Christian spirituality from the very beginning. Yet, silence is not easy to define and its conscientious practice is always challenging, especially in the noisy, hectic and anxious world in which we live.
Silence is at the heart of Christian spirituality from the very beginning. Yet, silence is not easy to define and its conscientious practice is always challenging, especially in the noisy, hectic and anxious world in which we live.
Silence should not be defined merely as an absence of external noise. It is very possible for us to be “noisy” on the inside—in our soul—even if the external environment is quiet and placid. Conversely, it is also possible to be quiet and still on the inside while chaos rages on the outside.
Silence is the disposition of the heart, the state of the soul.
In Christian spirituality, the practice of silence is enabled by divine grace and becomes a means of that grace. But it is a practice that also requires discipline, single-minded perseverance and patience.
Silence and inner stillness open up the way for and create a certain receptivity to the presence and promptings of the Spirit of God. They bring the believer into an encounter with the God who has revealed himself but who always remains an impenetrable mystery.
Silence brings us into the presence of this sovereign God, whom we can never manipulate. It teaches us what it means to trust in God, and the liberating peace that trust brings.
The practice of silence is not just for spiritual athletes such as monastics and mystics. It is for every Christian.
The practice of silence is not just for spiritual athletes such as monastics and mystics. It is for every Christian.
Find a suitable time and quiet place where you can spend unhurried time with God. Assume a reverent posture, as you remind yourself that you are in the presence of the holy and almighty God, your Creator.
You may wish to read a passage of Scripture, and meditate on the Word of God. Or you may wish to recite the centuries-old prayer known as the Jesus Prayer (“Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me”), which is used by Orthodox Christians.
Avoid distractions. When fleeting thoughts assail your mind, simply bring your focus back to the Scripture text or the Jesus Prayer.
The persistent practice of silence will bring us into deeper communion with God, strengthen our faith in him and fill our hearts with exceeding joy (Psalm 43:4).
Dr Roland Chia is Chew Hock Hin Professor of Christian Doctrine at Trinity Theological College and Theological and Research Advisor at the Ethos Institute for Public Christianity.
1 Paul II, John. “Spiritus et Sponsa: On the 40th Anniversary of the Constitution.” The Holy See, December 4, 2003. https://www.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/apost_letters/2003/documents/hf_jp-ii_apl_20031204_spiritus-et-sponsa.html.