Be Still And Know

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Be Still And Know

If you’ve never been to Taize, France, where a group of brothers live in a small, monastic Christian community, I’ll let you in on a secret—the landscape looks similar to the area around Chamberlain: rolling, grassy hills and then wide open meadows. In fact, the first time I drove through Chamberlain, I couldn’t believe how familiar it felt to that area in France. “I’ve been here before,” my eyes kept telling me. Taize holds a special place in my heart, much like our dear prairie. It’s the place where I learned to be still. I had been jabbering away to one of the brothers from the community about how hard it had been to sit in silence during worship (They often sit in silence for long periods of time) and finally he said, “My child! Do you not know that our Lord speaks to us when we are silent?” It was an “aha!” moment for me. Since my time in Taize, I’ve often found myself yearning for silence. And it’s great because we can take moments of silence anywhere: in the car, on break at work, or even just slipping outdoors and engaging nature and all the prairie has to offer. In Psalms 46:10, we hear the words, “Be still and know that I am God.” Be still. In our fast-paced world, we are called to stillness. Stillness brings silence. Both are good because they give us a chance to reconnect with the Spirit, with God. There is time for talking, especially nowadays where we must speak up for each other and speak for peace and justice. But silence and stillness are renewing. They are good for our soul. I invite you to take intentional moment of silence and stillness throughout your day. Maybe you spend it praying and then listening, like the brothers at Taize, or maybe you take a moment to pause, breath, renew, and refresh. In both ways, be silent and still—and know that you are loved.