An Advent Invitation to Silence

An Advent Invitation to Silence

By Tammy Townsend Denny, TI Executive Director

As I write this reflection, contractors are at work in our kitchen, hammering and sawing and grinding their way through a remodel. To drown out the noise, I have headphones on and am listening to instrumental Christmas music. Next to my keyboard, my phone emits intermittent sounds alerting me to messages and emails and phone calls. Soon my husband will be finished with his workday and will be walking through the house with questions for me, then the TV will be on. Noises from the furnace drone in the background. A school bus rattles by on the street. And that doesn’t even begin to describe all the thoughts running through my head – the to-do lists, the plans, the worries!

My life is very noisy. Quiet time with God is almost non-existent for me right now. And I am craving silence.

I am reminded of the Yiddish folk tale “It Could Always Be Worse.” In the story, a poor man complains to the Rabbi about how crowded and loud his small house is. The Rabbi’s advice is for the man to bring his chickens into the house. As the story builds, the Rabbi continues to advise the man to bring in more animals: goose, rooster, dog, cat, goat, cow (the animals vary depending on the version of the tale you read).

At the end of the tale, the Rabbi tells the man, who is now at his breaking point, to remove all the animals from his home.

The story ends with the man exclaiming, “Holy Rabbi, you have made life sweet for me. With just my family in the hut, it’s so quiet, so roomy, so peaceful… What a pleasure!”

I believe God gives us chaos and noise as a way to teach us to appreciate the gift of silence.

In this week’s Advent video from the Ascension Press video series Rejoice: An Advent Pilgrimage into the Heart of Scripture, Fr. Mark Toups from the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux, Louisiana, reminds us that silence is difficult, especially with all the distractions in our world. But silence is so important in our relationship with God. Fr. Mark says, “Silence is to prayer like a canvas is to the artist.” He goes on to say, “Silence sensitizes us to hear God.”

If your life is as noisy as mine is right now, join me this Advent in accepting God’s invitation for silence, even if it is only for a couple of minutes. For inspiration, please watch Fr. Mark’s 9:39 minute video below.​