Words and Silence.
By Anne Weikle
What you say next will change the world. That was the title of a talk by a woman named Sarah Peyton. She studies the neuroscience of relational language. I think about language and words a lot. Here is a Bible excerpt from James about our tongue.
When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go.
James 3:3-4
I share this because it speaks of the importance of and the power of our words. What we say matters, what we say to others, and almost more so, what we say to ourselves. All of us have had the experience of being filled with joy at some small word, like a word of praise from someone we admire, or the sweet sound of a child who sees a beloved aunt or uncle. Or the word from a sermon that resonates so deeply within us that we feel we are on fire, like the people on the road to Emmaus when Jesus was explaining scripture to them. We have also felt the sting of a harsh word, a word of judgement, or sarcasm, or put down. We have all had the experience of our words being misunderstood, or taken out of context. Have we also had the experience of being truly heard? Doesn’t it feel wonderful when someone truly listens to us, receives our words without judgement? Isn’t it a wonderful gift when we do that for another person? Words have power. And sometimes it seems I use too many of them.
In recent years, I have been doing a practice called Centering Prayer. In Centering Prayer I choose one word. This word is a symbol of my intention to simply be in the presence of God.
Psalm 46 :10 says, “Be still, and know that I am God”.
For 20 minutes, I practice letting my tongue rest. When my sons were infants, there was this indescribable joy in holding them in my arms when they were sleeping. They were soft and warm and safe. Their breathing was so calm and deep. We sat together, the baby and I, simply enjoying the connection and the fact that we were alive. No words were necessary, no judgements were made. The baby was still and knew that he was right where he belonged. That is an image that is close to what I imagine when I practice Centering Prayer. More and more, it seems that being with God creates relationship in a different way than just talking to God. This also extends out to other aspects of my life. Sometimes, when I am with a loved one, I choose to simply be with the person. I talk less, but value their presence, their life, their beauty and potential more. I can even do this with a stranger. I can be with someone without saying a word. All I have to do is quiet the busy words inside my head, and simply be in the presence of this person. Then, if words come, they come from a place that is safe, the same place where I have met God during Centering Prayer.
Our words matter. When we speak, either out loud or just inside our heads, when we speak to God, when we speak to others, when we speak to our own vulnerable selves, we are called upon to use the words that bring healing and peace, forgiveness and restoration. I believe God’s word goes out from each of us, and according to Jesus’ teaching, the word that we must learn to speak is Love.
If you are interested in joining Anne and others in a centering prayer gathering, or learning more about the practice, reach out to Anne directly at .
