the silence of Jesus
Silence. That’s all he gave them. Silence. And some strange scribbling in the sand.
August 18, 2014
How important is silence and solitude in your life? How do you practice them?
dark and quiet
Gordon Hempton is one of the world’s few acoustic ecologists. He travels the world recording what he calls “the last quiet places,” places completely untouched by modern human sound. Hempton records remote locations on the other side of the world as well as nearby wonders, such as the sound of the tide washing over a piece of spruce driftwood in a national park. He describes silence not as the lack of noise (there is no such thing, the earth itself emits sound), but rather as presence (the capacity to be fully attentive to the space where you are).
silent night
During the final home court basketball game in December, Taylor University basketball fans practice a tradition they call “Silent Night.” Once the game starts, the crowd stays completely silent. All that’s heard are the echoes of the basketball bouncing on the court, the squeak of the players’ shoes, and the occasional chatter among players and coaches. The gymnasium stays quiet until Taylor scores its tenth point. Once that happens—the fans cut loose and the place erupts!
staying grounded
Best-selling author John Eldredge recently wrote a book about Jesus titled Beautiful Outlaw. One of the things that struck Eldredge as he researched and wrote his new work was noting how grounded Jesus was as a person.
Eldredge wrote that Jesus had the “ability to navigate praise, then hatred, false flattery, then adoring crowds, vicious slander, and then people who simply…
