19 June 2025

For the most part, we think about silence as something that exists when there is no sound – a voice stops talking, a bell stops ringing, a TV programme comes to an end. But is that fair on silence. Can we look at it from an upside down perspective?

Why shouldn’t we consider silence to be the predominant environment for our existence and sound, noise, communication, technology are all things which interrupt silence. There are two things which hint at the significance of looking at the world in this way.

Firstly, there is silence in the Universe. Most of what constitutes our Universe is called dark matter. The interesting thing about this is that the scientists cannot grab hold of it. Dark matter defies scientific exploration, at least for the moment. It is enfolded in silence.

Secondly, there is the silence which enfolds God. Our worship tries to penetrate this silence in at last two ways. When we pray, we enter the silence of God. In order to become more comfortable in this eternal silence, we speak. We use words to fill up the silence but find it difficult to let our words go.

When the preacher’s sermon reaches its conclusion, silence ensues. This silence has the potential to be productive for it is through this medium that the Holy Spirit acts within our hearts and leads us into all truth. It is not the preacher’s words but his silence which enables this harvest to be accomplished.

The silence of sleep allows our mind to be refreshed and through this process of refreshment, things are clarified. Silence is the best medium for this. And in death, there is silence but through this silence, we are able to refine and define the gifts and graces of one we love. This is the harvest of eternity.