Lunch For Three - Day 5

Nooma 005|Noise
"Why is silence so hard to deal with? Why is it so much easier for us to live our lives with a lot of things going on all the time than to just be in silence? We're constantly surrounded with "voices" that are influencing us on how to think, feel, and behave. Movies, music, TV, Internet, cell phones, and a never-ending barrage of advertising. There's always something going on. Always noise in our lives. But maybe there's a connection between the amount of noise in our lives and our inability to hear God. If God sometimes feels distant to us, maybe it's not because he's not talking to us, but simply because we aren't really listening." NOOMAtube

Rob starts this video off sitting on the couch, with the TV on, telling us a story about Elijah. Getting ready to be done with his travels, Elijah had grown tired and weary. He had dedicated his life to the Lord, but questioned whether or not he had truly ever heard the Lord's direction. Wanting to hear God's voice Elijah heads up to the top of the mountain where God told him that He would show up. While atop the mount a fierce wind sweeps through that shakes the mountain. Yet Elijah hears nothing. Then and earthquake came, again shaking the mountain, but nothing. Finally a fire storm engullfed the mountain and Elijah heard nothing. But in the silence after the storm, Elijah could hear the voice of the Lord. God was speaking to him in the sound of sheer silence. Is it possibel for twenty-first century humans to ever acheive sheer silence? The Environmental Protection Agency tells us that 183 million people are regularly exposed to noise levels labeled as excessive.

When you drive in the car, do you have the radio on? When you are at home is the TV running? Do you have a cell phone, a facebook page, or an iPod? Why is it so hard for us to be without these things and be in silence? While I write this blog today, the thing I want to to most is check the score of the basketball game and turn on some tunes. I am literally fighting this urge with every keystroke. Rob asks us this question, "Is there a connection between the amount of noise in our lives and our inability to hear God?" Of course there is! My life is wired and scheduled around TV shows, sporting events, and movies. Yet is seems like I can't find the time of day to put half that dedication towards my Heavenly Father? There's something wrong with that.

Silence is a key theme found in the Bible...

• Deut. 27:9 - Then Moses and the Levitical priests spoke to all Israel, saying, "Be silent and listen, O Israel! This day you have become a people for the LORD your God.
• Psalms 4:4 - Be angry, and do not sin. Meditate within your heart on your bed, and be still. Selah.
• Habakkuk 2:20 - But the LORD is in His holy temple. Let all the earth be silent before Him.

God makes it very clear to us what I need to do when I am in need of His guiding words. Yet I chose to follow my own flawed ways. I complain, I whine and I gossip. "Have you spent the same amount of time worrying and talking about your difficult, confusing situations as you have spent in silence, listening to what God might have to say?" (Rob Bell). In highschool, I was notorious for sneaking away from the group while out on church retreats at night. Knowing me, everybody probably thought that I was out creating mischeif or plotting to do so, but that's not the case. I would sneak off to enjoy the wilderness and be engulfed by God's amazing beauty. Undoubtedly, this is when God would speak me. I've never felt as small and insignificant as I would laying on the frozen ice looking into the starlit sky. I was remind that MY God created this. MY God put those their. It wasn't necessarily through words, but at this time God would remind me how awesome He was. That He was amazing, that He was in control, and that He was always with me.

Back in the big city, I would fall right into the same trap again. I finally got cell phone reception back and began texting my friends and family. I got home and turned on the ball game to see how my team was doing. And I got on instant messanger and talked poorly behind somebodies back. Why is it so different here? God is still all around me. Those same stars that I saw on the lake are still in the sky above my home, but the noise and distractions of a technically advanced world distracts me their beauty. Go out of your way to create silent moments with God. Witness His beauty and let Him take priority above the noise.

Please, if you are interested I encourage you to participate and share your thoughts. I would love to get some feedback and hear what each of you took from the day's topic. Just click the comment button at the end of each blog and let me know what you think!