Many people are looking for an ear that will listen.  They do not find it among Christians, because these Christians are talking where they should be listening.  But he who can no longer listen to his brother will soon no longer be listening to God either; he will be doing nothing but prattle in the presence of God too. This is the beginning of the death of the spiritual life. . . . Anyone who thinks that his time is too valuable to spend keeping quiet will eventually have no time for God and his brother, but only for himself and for his own follies. -Dietrich Bonhoffer

In  today’s world, we live in a civilization of constant noise and buzzing about every conceivable topic imagined. Heath Ledger just died. Brittany has new secrets. An Australian girl’s liver transplant gave her a new immune system. Hillary, Obama, McCain, Huckabee, and Romney are at it again. Tennessee is now pushing Grass-oline. Will the Giants defeat the unbeatable Patriots in the Superbowl?

We also hear about the latest Christian thing that is being pushed: the best contemporary Christian music groups such as Casting Crowns, Mercy Me, Michael W. Smith, Chris Tomlin, Skillet, Switchfoot, Mandisa; the latest social groups like Invisible Children, Compassion, Hands and Feet, ONE; the latest books that come out like (another!) Left Behind, Frank Peretti, Andy Stanley, Joel Olsteen, John Eldridge, Karen Kingsbury; or even churches that boast great accomplishments and numbers like Mars Hill, Northpoint, Grace Fellowship, Calvary, and even FCC of Kernersville and East Unaka Christian. These are all examples of the Christian marketplace where everyone has something to say, to tell, to boast, to glorify, to critique, to compliment, reiterate. And it’s all just more noise.

Even on a small scale in the Milligan bubble, we constantly hear about the latest feature of the new Liberal Arts Building, or the latest gossip about dorm life, or where President Jeanes actually got all the money to recently finish completion of his mansion. These are also examples of the noise that is engraved into our lives.

Don’t get me wrong. I am not saying that these things are bad, or these things are good. I am addressing the fact that they are still examples of constant noise in our lives. Yes, noise is an essential part of the community experience, it is considered a form of communication. But reading the quote by Bonhoffer above makes me think  about the fact that we are always sending out messages, but how often do we really listen to what is received?

Bonhoffer makes an incredible point when he identifies listening as a spiritual discipline. It is a discipline that helps us stay in communion with God. Anyone can talk, and chatter away about nothing. But why are we afraid or uncomfortable when there is immense silence?

The alternative rock band, Anberlin, claim that the reason is because of the power in the silence: Anberlin - A Whisper & A Clamor

Growing tired of bedside resolve
Public display of depression
Something’s got to give now
Something’s going to break down
I grow tired of writing songs
Where people listen but never
Hear what’s really going on now
Tell me what’s so wrong now

(Chorus)
Clap your hands now all ye children
There’s a clamor in your whispering
Clap your hands tonight
Hear what the silence screams

For most who live and breathe
Hell is never knowing who they are now
Tell me who you are now
Finally safe from the outside
Trapped in what you know
Are you safe from yourself?
Can you escape all by yourself?

Chorus

It’s not the lies that you sing
But what the silence will scream

Chorus

Hear what the silence screams!

This power that is in the silence is exactly what Bonhoffer is referring to. Because God is in the silence, and God works and gives his power through the silence. If we as Christians are to live with His power, we first need to live within His silence. Next, within that silence, we need to listen. Listen to what God is saying, listen to what our brothers and sisters are saying. Not just hearing them speak, but actually comprehending their communication. Communication is a two way street, and if we are only talking and making more noise, we are missing out on the view from the other side of the road.