Our pastor announced last weekend that he was going to be away for a few days, on a silent retreat. In addition to no talking, there would be no phones, internet, electronics, or communication of any kind. Just—silence. And meditation. And prayer.

I know several people who have done silent retreats in the past, some as long as 30 days. The very idea of that amazes me. Even getting past the idea of taking a sabbatical from your regular life for a full month is something I find mind-boggling, but the idea of not talking at all, or having any communication with “the outside world,” seems impossible.

Of course, not all silent retreats last 30 days. They can be for a week, a few days, a weekend, or just overnight. Even so, I know I would have difficulty staying silent for that long. If nothing else, a song would probably pop into my head at some point, causing me to start humming or singing quietly. I often find myself doing that without even realizing it.

I’ve never done a silent retreat, but I once took part in a weekend retreat in which we had to remain silent from the dinner hour one night until after breakfast the next morning. I found it a bit intimidating at first, mainly over the fear that I would slip up and say something without thinking—the kind of thing that comes out automatically, like “Oops, sorry,” if I accidentally bumped into someone, or “God bless you” if someone sneezed.

But after I got used to it, I found the silence comforting. And powerful.

When we’re not allowed to communicate with others, the only one to communicate with is ourselves. And only in our minds. For those of us—and I’m guessing it’s most of us—who have a million things going on in our minds, or who get distracted easily, it can be difficult to clear away the mental clutter. But silence helps. And when we are truly able to clear out the noise, it’s amazing what messages we can hear, what discoveries we can make, or what lessons we can learn in the silence of our minds.

Although I don’t plan on taking part in any silent retreats in the foreseeable future, I like the idea of creating a silent space—even for a few hours—every now and then. If I do, I’m sure it will be inspiring and enlightening. And it will likely remind me that silence is, indeed, golden.

February 11, 2024
©Betty Liedtke, 2024

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