Noise
In the last few weeks I've come across a couple of ideas having to do with noise. The first was from NOOMA film by Rob Bell that my floor watched for Bible study a couple weeks ago. The most compelling part of it was when it was a black screen with white print that read "does your life look like one that is slowing down to hear God's voice?"
But I was reading Screwtape again today and Lewis was talking about the same thing. This is what good 'ole uncle Screwtape has to say on the subject:
"Music and silence - How I detest them both! How thankful we should be that ever since Our Father entered Hell - though longer ago than humans, reckoning in light years, could expreess - no square inch of infernal space and no moment of infernal time has been surrendered to either of those abominable forces, but all has been occupied by Noise - Noise, the grand dynamism, the audible expression of all that is exultant, ruthless, and virile - Noise which alone defends us from silly qualms, despairing scruples and impossible desires. We will make the whole universe a noise in the end. We have already made great strides in this direction as regards the Earth..."
It's really too bad how busy we can all get as people, as humans, that we stop slowing down to get in tune with God. Last night in Bible study we were talking about how in some way, each person has a part of the reflection of God in them. If we were slowing down to see that, how radically different would our campuses, our workplaces, our schools look? Instead of this individualism and desire to get ahead, cliq-ishness and exclusivism and competition, wouldn't it be awesome to see a loving community always supporting each other in everything? Always loving and encouraging each other?
For my part, I'm trying to live that out, but it's hard. And impossible without taking the time to connect by reading my Bible (which I'm horrible at) and praying (which isn't really smart unless you are grounded in the Word.... As I'm slowly learning. I'll post on that someday.). But hopefully, things will slowly move that direction as people see how horrible Noise is and how wonderful Silence and the music that is the life that God wants us to live (another Rob Bell thought from NOOMA) really are.
But I was reading Screwtape again today and Lewis was talking about the same thing. This is what good 'ole uncle Screwtape has to say on the subject:
"Music and silence - How I detest them both! How thankful we should be that ever since Our Father entered Hell - though longer ago than humans, reckoning in light years, could expreess - no square inch of infernal space and no moment of infernal time has been surrendered to either of those abominable forces, but all has been occupied by Noise - Noise, the grand dynamism, the audible expression of all that is exultant, ruthless, and virile - Noise which alone defends us from silly qualms, despairing scruples and impossible desires. We will make the whole universe a noise in the end. We have already made great strides in this direction as regards the Earth..."
It's really too bad how busy we can all get as people, as humans, that we stop slowing down to get in tune with God. Last night in Bible study we were talking about how in some way, each person has a part of the reflection of God in them. If we were slowing down to see that, how radically different would our campuses, our workplaces, our schools look? Instead of this individualism and desire to get ahead, cliq-ishness and exclusivism and competition, wouldn't it be awesome to see a loving community always supporting each other in everything? Always loving and encouraging each other?
For my part, I'm trying to live that out, but it's hard. And impossible without taking the time to connect by reading my Bible (which I'm horrible at) and praying (which isn't really smart unless you are grounded in the Word.... As I'm slowly learning. I'll post on that someday.). But hopefully, things will slowly move that direction as people see how horrible Noise is and how wonderful Silence and the music that is the life that God wants us to live (another Rob Bell thought from NOOMA) really are.
posted by Foolish Thing Nine at 6:45 AM
3 Comments:
Hm, good thoughts.
May I just say how ironic it really is... That I just started rereading The Screwtape Letters a couple of days ago. Freaky.
The noise of life also happens in the silence. (that is supposed to by cryptic so we can discuss it later).
FYI its storming here and this weekend has been absolutely WONDERFUL!
I'm glad that you are growing in the Lord. God is truely awesome and it makes me happy that you are getting to experience that in new ways! I am too! What a mighty God we SERVE!
I have to wonder what it is that you mean by saying that we must be grounded in the word or prayer can be scary. Not that I would disagree but wht is it that you mean?
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