All spoken words need to be born out of silence and constantly return to it.*
Henri Nouwen
It always comes back to silence for me. Taking myself to silence. Inviting others to silence. Frequently. Quiet our busy minds. Set aside our relentless chatter. Just be quiet. And then do something. And then get quiet again.**
Bob Stilger
My favourite carol is probably Silent Night,
Sometimes begun with the alternative words Still the Night:
Silence and stillness, I value these most of all at Christmas;
It doesn’t have to be for long, but a little while
to be and to focus – these things I need.
The thinner the silence the better,
Meaning quietness charged with
whispers from somewhere else:
The aim of Thin|Silence is to offer a few words to reflect upon
before the rush of the day begins,
To be played with as you will, and
to see what happens.
I’ve also added a random thin|Silence selection (below) from the past eleven years.
*Henri Nouwen’s Spiritual Direction;
**Bob Stilger, from Brandy Agerbeck and Kelly Bird’s (editors) Drawn Together Through Visual Practice.
THIN|SILENCE 