Well, at least for a wee while.
Archbishop Claudio Maria Celli, president of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, had this to say recently:
“I invite you to live moments of silence during these days of Advent, to hear Jesus’ voice who speaks to our heart. Holding Mary’s hand, let us meet with him without haste, as he always awaits us! Let’s put a dike to the flood of concerns and noises that so often drag us endlessly. Silence is like a blank screen on which we can project the film of our daily life to see it clearly. If we project it on a wall full of pictures, books and objects, with a background of noise, we will understand little. Only in silence do we assume in a more conscious way our options; in silence we hear the voice of God. [...]
If we dedicate time to choose the ingredients and to prepare the dinners and meals we will share over the holidays, must we not also prepare, and even more so, what we will communicate through radios, newspapers, television programs and Web sites? What can we give that is substantial, if our life is filled only with repeated words, with little depth and contents? Let us dedicate time to the Lord whom we are awaiting this Advent.” [source]
So good. This message is not just for organizations or leaders, but for each of us. This line in particular stood out to me: “What can we give that is substantial, if our life is filled only with repeated words, with little depth and contents?”
Email Forwards. Shares. Re-Tweets. Re-porting of our lives. These are all “repeated words”...relentlessly vomited up by a social media machine that exploits our need to be loved, feeds on our addiction to information and consumes our every. silent. moment.
That’s not to say there aren’t things worth repeating or that the machine isn’t useful. But we need time to reflect. To go deep. To be silent. To be people of substance. To have something worth sharing, instead of adding to the noise. To hear the voice of God.
So I’m gonna check-out of Facebook, Twitter, Blogging, etc. for the next couple of weeks (aside from a couple of scheduled blog posts), go prepare for and celebrate the coming of Christ and then come back in the new year with, hopefully, something worth communicating.
Blessed Advent and a Merry Christmas to you all.
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Thanks for using your spotlight to focus on this address. It’s a message that needs to be heard. Blessings to you and your family this Advent and Christmas.
Advent and Christmas provide a great time to begin year-round “quiet time” in our lives (at least ten minutes)and as you suggest to hear the voice of God. Merry Christmas.
Excellent. I think I need to ponder this suggestion. I did give up Facebook for Lent, and afterwards rarely went back, but recently it’s been creeping back up,and my prayer time has been going down. Hmmmm…..
It’s a beautiful sentiment Matt, and you have been so blessed this year. I pray you enjoy this silent time with your family and I look forward to hearing from you again after Christmas. God Bless You!
(An aside, my captcha word to post this comment is “believe62” How appropriate!)
May God bless you and guide you in your time apart with Him. Merry Christmas to you and your family.
Hey Matt,
Yep…we need to be firmly rooted in Christ before we can do anything. And sometimes, that requires us to ‘unplug’.
For me, I attend a Jesuit 3-day silent retreat every year to do just that. I have to…the noise in my life demands periodic silence.
FWIW…you’re comments re: ‘repeated words’ reminds me of Ecclesiastes 1:9…
“What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.”
God Bless you on your Advent silence!
Craig
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