This week I am preaching about the disciplines of silence and solitude in the Christian life. There is an irony about my preaching on this topic because the amount of silence and solitude in my life is nearly zero. I have much to occupy my time and my mind including a two-year old, a baby, a musical spouse who works from home and often in community, my own work in the church and the seminary, and all of the other minor responsibilities like bills and meals to keep me busy. \u00a0To consider time alone for silence or solitude is something of a luxury.<\/p>\n
As I studied for my sermon, reviewing Richard Foster\u2019s chapter on solitude from Celebration of Discipline, I noticed a word I had not before. The term changed the whole concept of silence and solitude into something that made much more sense to me and resonated with our recent time in Hong Kong and the culture there. The word was \u201cinner,\u201d and was used in reference to \u201cinner silence and inner solitude.\u201d<\/p>\n
The idea of silence and solitude is often spoken of as external, such as going to a quiet place or being alone. While there is nothing wrong with these, many people don\u2019t have those experiences very often, and in certain seasons or cultures they are extremely rare. For example, I keep thinking of the myriad of high-rise apartments in Hong Kong with many families living in three hundred square feet or less, with no yard, no balcony and little green space to enjoy on their own. This is the norm among the densest population on earth. And with all the noise and communal space it makes me wonder if this is why the commute on their Mass Transit Rail (MTR) is so quiet.<\/p>\n
The idea of inner silence and solitude is something that must be cultivated and is much more difficult than escaping a city full of people or the noise around us. Rather, silencing one\u2019s voice to actively listen and emptying one\u2019s mind of distractions, whether on people, ideas or tasks, creates an ability to be present to God. This is the work or discipline of silence and solitude. They require self-control rather than no noise or other people. And their purpose is not to become lonely but to be filled through communion with the Spirit of God.<\/p>\n
Although not noted as professional activities in most fields, solitude and silence are forms of deep work. They take focus, need elimination of distraction, and even require boredom to wonder and hear well from the Creator.<\/p>\n
Cal Newport, in his text Deep Work<\/em>, hits on a principal true to Scripture as he digs into Carl Jung\u2019s discipline of focus through solitude. Through Newport\u2019s coined phrase, he describes deep work as \u201cprofessional activities performed in a state of distraction-free concentration that push your cognitive capabilities to their limit. These efforts create new value, improve your skill, and are hard to replicate.\u201d[1]<\/a><\/p>\n Throughout Jesus\u2019 ministry he spends much time alone. But what does he do in those times? He communes with the Father…sometimes in such intense prayer that he sweats blood.[2]<\/a> Christ has a mission and a focus, and lives an inner life of communion with the Father, which provides for many external opportunities of solitude and birth fruitful ministry to others.<\/p>\n Inner silence and solitude such as Jesus had, provide a fruitful way to enter into community and service to others. It is from the place of solitude and silence of our self, really surrendering our impulses to be in communion with God that we develop a healthy presence with others. This presence, based on the reality of our identity being anchored in God, allows us to move into social settings such as meetings, family time, social media, and other mediums in healthy ways that are whole. As Newport reveals, attempting to move from distracted communal space into productive space is counter-intuitive.<\/p>\n Newport uses several examples throughout his text including Teddy Roosevelt and JK Rowling to reveal the methods and fruit of deep work. In one of his examples of his own life and his desire to stay healthy he speaks of productive meditation, or meditation on something specific while in motion. \u201cThe goal of productive meditation is to take a period in which you\u2019re occupied physically but not mentally\u2014walking, jogging, driving, showering\u2014and focus your attention on a single well-defined professional problem.\u201d[3]<\/a> This idea can be used for work problems or growth in spiritual depth, as Jesus and many others have in growing in their communion with God which, in turn, provides a basis for healthier work in professional problem solving.<\/p>\n Even when not having moments alone or in total quiet, one can practice communion with God, silencing the mind from other distractions and listening for God\u2019s presence through the movement of the Spirit around them. Incorporating Newport\u2019s techniques, particularly of engaging boredom and breaking from social media or the internet for scheduled periods, provides opportunity for less distraction and to engage with the Divine. But again, that takes deep work, and may be in the midst of holding a child or riding a subway.<\/p>\n [1]<\/a> Newport, Cal. Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World<\/em> (p. 3). Grand Central Publishing. Kindle Edition.<\/p>\n