THE SOUND OF SILENCE

Silence is in danger. It’s endangered by the noises of merriment, restlessness, and the cares of this world. When I was a child, I often caught my mother sitting quietly in the dark. Intrigued, I asked what she could possibly see in pitch darkness. She replied, “It’s not so much what you see in darkness as what you hear. The sound of silence you hear in the dark is what keeps you in the daytime.” The noise of noises with which we greeted the New Year should pave the way for the sound of silence, which is what can sustain us through the year. Let’s rescue the sound of silence, that still small voice we hear when we’re alone with God in times of reflection and prayer (Matthew 14:23; cf. 1 Kings 19:11-13).  Happy New Year!–Samuel Koranteng-Pipim