A Thing called The Silence

Brother Lawrence called it practicing the presence. Sixteenth century mystics levitated in it. East Indian Gurus get stuck in it. Tony Campolo calls it the Thin Place where his mind is cleared every morning. Tony Jones calls it a place of utter stillness. It's the aim of the practice of Lectio Divina. New Ager Wayne Dyer says it's where you go to receive guidance. Thomas Merton called it the nothingness, an absence of thought. Dallas Willard says it’s a place for God to break in. Patricia King and Stacey Campbell call it ecstasy. Todd Bentley calls it soaking in the secret place, or "pickling in the presence." Thomas Keating said that God’s first language is there. Richard Foster calls it progress in intimacy with God. Deepak Chopra calls it the great teacher. There are even classes in churches that teach you to get comfortable, practice breathing exercises, and shut the noises out to find it.

The funny thing is that both Christians and New Agers, are telling us that we must practice this thing. This is not just about finding a nice quiet place to think, but quite the opposite. It’s referring to a stillness of the mind called THE SILENCE.

The silence is becoming a very popular thing these days. And now it's being introduced into schools...

"I experience the silence and then when I finish meditation, I take part of that silence with me into the day – and the whole day goes better."
-Quote from a student using meditation on the David Lynch Foundation website

It's a most alarming thing is that The Silence is now being promoted to students as a stress reliever in the form of Transcendental Meditation...

What Scientists, Educators and Students Say

“Here is a program that any student from the age of 10 years and upwards can practice a few minutes twice a day—a technique that promotes more dynamism in activity and yet prevents the accumulation of stress that wreaks havoc on health. This is a key to better health.”

(http://www.davidlynchfoundation.org/endorsements.html)

It’s all about health, they say. Meditation reduces stress levels, specially in the inner city schools where students are frisked before they enter the building every morning. So, these doctors of silence say, the benefit created by TM is the experience of “restful alertness.”

Deepak Chopra would agree...

...the stillness experienced in the state of pure consciousness during meditation is even more profound than any silence that is experienced during sleep or dream. The transformative power of the silence in meditation is subtler than sleep, and that is what allows for the changes in our mind-body that support higher states of consciousness.

Love,

Deepak(deepakchopra.com)

What a novel new solution. Change them from within. It all sounds good, but the Bible says that the only way a person can be transformed from within is when a sinner repents and turns from their sins and believes in Jesus Christ as Lord of their life. This new silence thing is nothing more than recycled Eastern religion and ancient mysticism. As we watch these things being [re]introduced into our churches and schools, we can't help but be reminded of King Solomon's wise words, when he said that there is nothing new under the sun.

"Silence is the great teacher, and to learn its lessons you must pay attention to it. There is no substitute for the creative inspiration, knowledge, and stability that come from knowing how to contact your core of inner silence. As the great Sufi poet, Rumi, wrote, 'Only let the moving waters calm down, and the sun and moon will be reflected on the surface of your being.'"
~ Deepak Chopra(chopra.com)

The truth is, there is only one safe place for our minds to find true peace...not in the thin place, not in the empty place of higher consciousness, not in your core of inner silence, but in the Lord. Rather than emptying our minds, we need to consciously fill them with truth from the Word of God.

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Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.
Isaiah 26:3

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Related reading:
The Sound of Silence @ Living Journey