We Were Preparing for This
"To you, O Lord, silence is praise.” Psalm 65, The Message Isaac of Nineveh, Syrian Monk wrote, "Silence will unite you to God himself. More than all things love silence: it brings you a fruit that tongue cannot describe. In the beginning we have to force ourselves to be silent. But then there is born something that draws us to silence. May God give you an experience of this "something" that is born of silence. If only you practice this, untold light will dawn on you in consequence. After a while a certain sweetness is born in the heart of this exercise and the body is drawn almost by force to remain in silence." (Merton, Contemplative Prayer, 30). In mid-March as schools and congregations began to close for what initially appeared to be a two-to-four week hiatus, a business leader friend of mine asked the question, “Did the seminary prepare students for this?” It’s a good question - Who is prepared for this? How do you prepare for thi...