It is an unlikely hit. A 12th century church in East Sussex, England decided that they wanted to share the peacefulness of their ancient building with the world. They set up recording equipment in their empty building, capturing thirty minutes of silence. The CD sold out on the opening day, and church members are now filling orders from people as far away as Ghana.
We live in a busy, noisy world. Noise permeates every part of our day. From the time we get up to bedtime, we are surrounded by sound. Music, television, phones, alarms, and even people create a wall around our souls. That wall makes it hard to hear God. If we want to be people who listen to His voice, we have to be thoughtful and deliberate about stilling our hearts and welcoming silence.
Perhaps that explains the popularity of the CD. If you intentionally hit play on thirty minutes of silence, you choose to stop the noise, step back from the world, and let quiet fill the space in your soul. That silence helps us regain our balance, refocus our perspective, and realign our priorities. God doesn’t scream. He whispers. Being silent makes it possible for us to hear Him.
My Jesus Resolution today is to be silent for at least thirty minutes. That sounds like a long time, but I am going to take my cue from the CD. It almost seems wasteful to set thirty minutes aside for silence when there is so much to do and my list is so full. My goal, however, centers not around doing, but being who God wants me to be. Silence is an investment in transformation. “And the effect of righteousness will be peace, and the result of righteousness, quietness and trust forever.” – Isaiah 32:17
Casandra Martin 
Leave a Reply