Phenomenology of Prayer #2

"As Johannes Tauler puts it, 'And therefore you should obseve silence! In that manner the Word can be uttered and heard within. For surely, if you choose to speak, God must fall silent. There is no better way of serving the Word than by silence and by listening.' Prayer needs silence, not only external but also internal silence; for our minds and hearts can be and usually are very noisy places even when we emit no audible sound." p.20

A couple years ago, I visited New York City with a friend. In the space of 36 hours, we toured everything we could, visiting all the normal spots and stores, admiring their Christmas decorations, and navigating the best we could with all the people. However, it wasn't long before I was longing for quiet. Times Square lost its appeal along with much of the commercialization of the city because there was simply so much noise. From the people, the vendors, screaming in the loud advertising. It was the kind of noise that seemed to penetrate my internal being and not just my external being and there was not any space for me to be still - to be still meant I would be run over. As I read about the necessity of silence in prayer, I wonder what implications our loud urban landscapes have on this. If kids are being raised in loud environments, will they ever truly learn how to be silent? Furthermore, is there a possibility of silence internally in the midst of a loud external context. I believe that churches should be a place that cultivates this silence, creating a space for individuals to simply dwell and listen to the Lord, developing an internal silence that resists the volume of the world.