Silence a key spiritual practice on the spiritual journey (2024)

CALGARY – Be still and know that I am God.

It is a phrase from a psalm in the Bible but applies to many religions and spiritualities.

Today, it is often difficult to be still and to get away from the noise and activity that is part and parcel of the world we live in.

But silence and solitude are necessary practices for spiritual growth.

The Herald asked a few of Calgary’s religious leaders to explain the importance and benefits of silence in an individual’s spiritual journey.

Calgary Roman Catholic Bishop Fred Henry

“In January of each year I make a silent retreat at a Benedictine Monastery with my brother bishops. The experience helps to centre me and at the same time remind me that my vocation is not that of a monk but rather a diocesan or priest, I am in the world with my brothers and sisters.

“Nevertheless, I need to find a way of disconnecting from the relentless flow of words, sounds, and images that bombard me day and night. More important still, I need to find an inner silence that switches off the inner stream of thoughts, images, and feelings. Without this, transformation would not be possible.

“The first Christian hermits went off into the desert, as Jesus had done, in search of God. As the prophet Elijah discovered in his cave on the mountain, God is not in the wind or the earthquake or in the fire but in the silence of a gentle breeze. I need silence and solitude to get an inner life of calm and tranquility, to be at peace with myself, with God and the world. I also need to integrate the insights from interaction with people and with earth into my life. This is what Jesus did, and it is what I have to do also.”

Rev. John Pentland of Hillhurst United Church

“The psalmist says God is the still small voice within. So often our lives are so noisy we can’t hear that voice. We need to be intentional about creating it. Shutting off phones, music, television, being alone to listen to the silence. Silence can be like a bath of energy to dry the weary bones.

“Silence is something people both fear and love. Some fear it because they are afraid of what they might hear or may have to take notice of. They are too busy doing and not being. Others love it because it is like a well filling us with water. The silence provides inner listening. Our soul is inside us, what is it saying to our life? You can only hear when you pay attention to it.

“We have extended our silence in worship service to provide space for us to listen in the silence. Distractions may happen, a person coughs, a baby cries, thats part of silence. Perfect silence isn’t the goal. The goal is receiving and paying attention even to the distraction. Silence can fill us with ideas we hadn’t heard before. It can refresh us with wisdom. It can still us like no other.

“Silence is food for the soul. We need to create space to really be in silence intentionally. It is our best food for the soul. It is restorative. The benefits: Silence is the opportunity to listen to our life. It is like bird watching, you don’t go searching for birds you go and sit and wait for them to appear. It is the waiting in the quiet that actually feeds our soul. It is paying attention to our life, that is the ultimate goal of the spiritual journey. You ask what is my soul trying to speak to me, or say to me?”

Syed Soharwardy, Calgary Imam and founder of the Islamic Supreme Council of Canada

“Avoiding unnecessary talk and remaining silent is the key to the spiritual growth. Our Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, ‘whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day, then let him/her say what is good or keep silent.’ In the holy Qur’an Allah, the Almighty, said, ‘Man does not utter any word except that with him is an observer prepared (to record).’

“For spiritual fitness a person must do three things; talk less, eat less and sleep less. These three important conditions provide the best nourishment to the soul and a person’s spiritual journey becomes so enjoyable that the distractions and the difficulties on the spiritual journey no longer affects a person’s ability to connect with his/her Creator.

Rabbi Shaul Osadchey of the Beth Tzedec Congregation

“Elie Wiesel once alluded to the discipline of silence in Jewish tradition during an interview. The interviewer was surprised, noting that Jews love words so much, and asking why so few people have ever heard of Jewish silent practices. Wiesel simply replied, ‘Well, we don’t like to talk about it.’

“Judaism, in fact, does have much to teach about the idea of silence. Our sacred spaces and sacred times are laden with moments where we refrain from speech. On the Sabbath we refrain from working or using electronic devices so that we can better hear our inner voice and connect spiritually to the world. While words were God’s first creation, they were preceded by primordial silence, suggesting that this is the highest reality of the Divine. Psalm 62:2 teaches, ‘Silence is praise to You.’ One of the central prayers in Judaism comes from Deut. 6:4, ‘Hear (Listen)! Israel, the Lord our God is one.’

“Jewish sages valued silence as vital to living a meaningful life.Through the practice of silence and meditation, a person could best serve God and avoid conflict with one’s fellow human beings (Prov. 20:23, ‘He who guards his mouth and his tongue keeps his soul from troubles’.”

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