“Soul of Nonviolence” is a podcast that reflects on a different nonviolence quote each week. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher or via RSS.
“Can we change or improve the world from the perspective of silence? Can mystics build or improve civilization? Words change the world, but only silence changes us. Any reform that is not born of silence will be short lived.”
— Pablo D’Ors
This week, we examine a quote from Pablo D’Ors and Thomas Merton to demonstrate how silence and contemplation create change. Through stillness we build awareness, which in turn affects those we interact with.
Thus to begin creating change, we must plunge deep, past the noisy, busy mind that distracts us with trivial matters. And the deeper you go, the higher you reach unto God, as Veronica tells us.
In the second quote for this week, we see it from Thomas Merton’s perspective:
“When I am liberated by silence, when I am no longer involved in the measurement of life but in the living of it, I can discover a form of prayer in which there is effectively no distraction. My whole life becomes a prayer. My whole silence is full of prayer. The world of silence in which I am immersed contributes to my prayer.”
Without silence, any reform we attempt stays superficial because it lacks the authenticity of the true self. With silence, our spiritual being gets a chance to expand and help us to create profound change.
I believe that silent, contemplative time is required to effect meaningful and lasting change in ourselves, others, and society. Sometimes, for some of us, the difficult part is to have a consistent awareness of taking the time to be silent and contemplative. A funny thing is that, when this time is not observed, it quickly or eventually becomes evident in our perspective on daily life. This can present itself in a crashing way or be revealed in our relationships. What a journey life is in keeping track of ourselves, let alone others! Peace.