The Help of Silence
For many times, we must have searched, wished or prayed for silence. Yes, silence. The precious Silence, the help of silence in our lives.
Starting from our own minds, chaos and confusions can already be present. They can even be beyond our control unless we stop, take a deep breath and strive to obtain calmness from getting silence. So we can concentrate better on anything that really matters. For us not to waste time on useless thoughts in our minds, we need to be quiet, be silent. Needing the help of silence.
From childhood, I have learned its importance. Every child is expected to listen, follow and be obedient to their parents. Honor them. Even in God's commandments it is there. Honor thy father and thy mother.
Some children have parents that love to talk. Even nonsense. They call it parent's advice or teachings or guidance. Depending on how they really are for a child's perception of their talks, any child can give them another name. They can be intrusion, nonsense and even call it "a sermon". That was how we, my brothers and sisters, used to call it whenever our mother starts to burst out whatever she wanted to express or relay on an early morning like seven o'clock, on a Sunday, just to get us out of bed considering the time late for the soon coming Sunday mass.
Our mother was raised as an early bird since childhood. Something she passed to all her children. For her, as she taught, "early birds get the first food," For life, we have appreciated that.
So on a sunday morning, she could threaten us to throw water, cold water, just to get us out of bed. Something that she never did anyway. If sermons and threats would not work, she would resort to putting on her favorite long play albums on the music stereo, put it on a loud volume that could be heard blocks away, and sit herself quietly on a chair to enjoy her doings, maybe to calm herself down. I even saw her once, smiling to herself on her last resort. And, of course, it always worked. We wanted at least a low volume or none at all.
In some families as I have come to find out through the years, noise is worse. Parents fighting verbally, and even leading to physical assault. Obviously, they are but concentrated on selfish aims. Those are moments they only care about themselves, how they feel, how to make their points across and to win the battle and feel themselves the right one to have the reason the other one must accept.
While in the background, their children are trembling with fear as they listen and witness, wondering what's coming next between the parents in trouble then to themselves, their children, afterwards. For as children, most often, receive the consequences of the moment.
There it is. Whatever leads to the outside, started first from the inside. It starts from each one. Each soul. From within, from the mind to the heart where they are completed and ended in actions. Going outside. Starting from the Root.
We sometimes say, "The Root of it All."
What is it then? What is the root of it all? Could we ever figure out? Of course we can. With self honesty, we can. But. But we have to reach "silence" first to reach it. To be calm. To serene ourselves. To think. THINK BETTER.
Some parents send their children to go out of their houses to play in the backyard or make it a point their children aren't around whenever they have issues to settle between themselves. Their children are lucky enough to have them, I shall say. But not all children.
As a child, even before my twelfth year of age, I have already realized that "adults" are more complicated between themselves than children are. Yet they claimed they know what they are thinking, saying and doing in their own lives and others.
"Only God knows if you're lying or not." That is what I used to say to myself. Then leave it there. Period.
Through my own and others experiences: like hearing from families, relatives, friends, classmates, teachers, well everyone and through movies, books, whatever, I have come to know that deep inside each human heart in their deepest desire , hopes and prayers, we all want peace. And before you can ever reach that status, you need Silence. Learn it what. Find out how.
At first, I thought that escaping from troubled situations, loud noises and conflicts was to go out and find a friend or someone to talk to, hang out with and enjoy companies no matter what that would make me feel better. Sometimes they do. Sometimes they just make you feel worse or lead you to regrets.
Then, I tried to dip into reading since it is one of the things I am passionate about. I used to stay in more time in libraries before or after school started just to get away. Sometimes when there is a "big sermon" going on in our house, I pack up my bag ang books and spend time in school libraries or somewhere else. If my mother asks, I would say, "I need to study in a quiet place", when room is not enough to provide it.
As I grew older, I came to know a better and the best refuge to escape the crazy world. Inside the church.
Inside ourselves is a church itself.
When we read or hear about the word "church", we quickly imagine the church or sanctuary building itself. Anyway, to find silence, where else is the best place to be?
Some find that the best place to get silence is in the parks, high top mountains, deep waters or sailing, in their own private place, private room. But all of them are just the environment, the backyard of the church.
The church itself is inside us.. We can only be inside our church if we are silent. The Help of Silence gives way to connect to our inner selves. And find peace. But it is not that easy. To find peace we have to know how. And to realize that the Only One that can give us peace in our heart and inner self so achingly search for and desire is no one but God himself alone. And how, through His Son, Jesus. For that is how He, God himself, wants it to.
"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."
I did not say that, and no one ever has the right to say that and guarantee but Jesus himself. As it was written in the holy scriptures of John 14:27.
With the Help of Silence, let Peace come to us. May finding Jesus leads us all to settle ourselves in peace. Amen.
