He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.” (Psalm 46:10 niv)

This passage was a favorite of a person of faith I greatly admired. She could hear and feel God in the stillness. Stillness remains elusive these days; the hum of electrical appliances and the need to do something shriek over any peaceful silence.

Silence makes some people uncomfortable. They feel pressured to fill in any holes in a conversation. Some play music loudly, or blare the television, even though no one is listening or watching.

Does God speak in the stillness? The weather rampages lately, punishing the righteous and sinners without discretion. Hurricanes and tornadoes destroy through wind and flood. A torrent of disasters shrills through any peace, obliterating anything positive within hearing.

We might reach deeper into the tranquility to seek the voice of God. The cacophony could drown out any soothing messages. Stillness can provide comfort instead of edginess. Maybe we could hear.

Bless the earth. Bring peace and harmony to the lands, to the sky, to the waters... If there be a need for the earth to release its tensions in the future, let it do so in a way that is gentle and harms no one. Let the waters return to their natural ebb and flow. Let the earth be calm.

Contributed by Carol
Monday June 10, 2013
Liturgical Year C: Week 28
Liturgical Color: Green
Sunday Gospel reading: Proper 5
Third Sunday after Pentecost