Saturday morning I woke up and could not speak louder than a whisper. Every time I swallowed it felt like a golf ball with spikes going down my gullet. As someone who sings and leads music quite often this is never a good thing.
There were many annoyances that came with it. Not being able to sing Happy Birthday to my daughter as she turned 5. Having to repeat myself over and over. Getting someone’s attention without doing a dog clap. Having to bail on a gig. It could have been worse for sure but it sucked.
Today I am feeling quite a bit better and can swallow again without crying and listening to “hurt” by Johnny Cash on repeat. Most importantly I can speak louder than a whisper.
BUT…..it got me thinking about the power of silence and noise.
Today the world is so loud. It’s a world of visual and audible noise. Noise so loud and constant that we don’t even notice it anymore. From the tapping of a pen to a tornado siren we can become immune to the sound of life.
Until…...it stops. The night when the street is covered with snow and all is incredibly and eerily quiet. Or when you drive out into the country on a spring day. Or that moment when you put your headphones on just before the music starts. That is when we notice how loud the world is.
And we add to the noise ourselves. Through facebook, twitter, blogging, conversation, sermons, music, art and all the other forms of communication that are now more accessible than ever and enable us to equally point a megaphone at the world….we all add to the noise.
Switchfoot has a great lyric in one of their songs “If we’re adding to the noise….turn off this song”. I love it. But I wonder how often I follow that advice. I wonder how often we all step back and reflect on our contribution to the noise.
Some noise is good. Too much noise is not.
So here are two things I am reflecting on today.
1. Silence - It is important to find silence in your life. Silence brings clarity. Silence allows you to listen. Silence allows you to seek. So find some sort of silence in your day. Find time to be silent and be surrounded with silence. Those might just be the most important and impactful moments of your life.
2. Noise - more importantly your contribution to it. What are you adding to the noise that makes it worth hearing. On social media, in real life conversations, on your blog, to your kids. If you were to leave this earth today what parts of you would echo tomorrow. Noise matters and now more than ever, noise lasts.
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Sin is not ended by multiplying words, but the prudent hold their tongues.
-Proverbs 10:19
We need to find God, and he cannot be found in noise and restlessness. God is the friend of silence. See how nature - trees, flowers, grass- grows in silence; see the stars, the moon and the sun, how they move in silence... We need silence to be able to touch souls.
-Mother Teresa
-Mark Twain
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