Artist: Albert Edelfelt
I know I post a lot about silence on this blog. I want to mention here that a person does not have to have an aptitude or preference for long periods of silence to benefit from the principle so beautifully honored in the quotation below. Just a minute or so of intentional silence from time to time makes a huge difference in a person's life. Please trust me on this one!
"It is only in identifying with Christ, it is only by plunging into the great silence of God within myself, that I can love and identify with others. It is by listening to the great silence of God, and having this strange, passive dialogue in which I become aware of the silence which is the speech of God--it is only by listening to this that I am able to speak to my brother. It is only by listening to this silence that I can acquire the ingenuity of love, the delicacy of Christ in my human relationships. In this silence I become identified with Christ, I acquire a listening heart."
". . .I acquire a listening heart." What an incredibly powerful thing to acquire from the conversation with the silence within myself. What a gift to those around me. Who doesn't need someone with a listening heart in their lives? The painting of this woman haunts me. Does she have a listening heart to share, but those around her have missed out on her gift because they're too busy? Or rather, is she in need of someone with a listening heart, but everyone around her is too busy to notice? Either way she is alone because she is old, slow, ill, whatever the reason and our world is too busy to sit and be with her with a listening heart. I said at the beginning a listening heart would be a gift to those around me, but it would also be the most beautiful gift I could give myself because I would discover people like her.
ReplyDeleteIt is time to dive deep into the silence within myself.
Carolyn L.
This is a very wonderful and meaningful comment, Carolyn. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteAnd I'm so glad the painting spoke to you. It did to me as well and I'm very, very glad to have found it.