“Be Still and Know”: The Sacred (and Surprisingly Difficult) Gift of Silence

Wednesday, July 30, 2025
written by Rev. Erik Khoobyarian

A few weeks ago I shared in worship an encouragement to try sitting in silence for some period. I mentioned that it can be hard to start with too much time! If you've ever tried to sit in silence for five minutes - no phone, no music, no helpful background hum of a coffee shop - you know something about the peculiar challenge silence presents. Our minds, which we often assume to be wise and calm, begin to act like squirrels on espresso. Thoughts bounce, memories nag, worries line up like contestants on The Price is Right, all clamoring for your attention.

And yet, silence is one of the most profound gifts of the Christian life. Scripture is laced with invitations to stillness. “Be still, and know that I am God,” says Psalm 46:10. Jesus himself regularly withdrew to "lonely places" to pray (Luke 5:16). Silence is not just an empty space - it’s the sacred terrain where God often chooses to speak.

Maggie Ross, a solitary Anglican and one of the most respected voices on the Christian practice of silence, goes further. She argues that silence is essential to spiritual integrity and healing. “The restoration of silence is the key to the recovery of the human spirit,” she writes. “The point of silence is not to turn inward, but to become deeply responsive to the world and its pain” (Silence: A User’s Guide, vol. 1, p. 6).

So how do we actually do silence? And why is it so hard?

Let’s admit it: silence in modern life is countercultural. We're trained to fill every moment with stimulation—audio, visual, even multitasking thoughts. Ross suggests that our culture’s noise is not just inconvenient; it’s spiritually damaging. “Noise is violence,” she says bluntly. “It is the imposition of a will, the hammering of ideology into the skull” (Silence: A User’s Guide, vol. 1, p. 3).

In other words, the noise around us - and often within us - isn't neutral. It shapes us, distracts us, fragments us. Silence, by contrast, doesn’t just offer a breather; it creates the condition in which we can re-encounter God.

Yet silence also threatens the illusion that we're in control. “The self wants to maintain its dominance,” Ross writes. “Silence threatens the ego’s supremacy, and that’s why we resist it” (Writing the Icon of the Heart, p. 23). So it’s no wonder we fidget, check our watches, or suddenly remember that one email we forgot to send. In silence, we meet not only God—but ourselves. And sometimes, that’s the scarier part.

Despite its discomforts, silence offers something rare: integration. When we practice silence -not just as the absence of noise, but as attentive presence - we begin to recover a unity between thought, spirit, and body.

Psychologically, silence improves concentration, reduces stress, and helps regulate emotions. Spiritually, it opens us to communion with God that goes beyond words. “Silence is not the absence of something,” Ross insists, “but the presence of everything” (Writing the Icon of the Heart, p. 19). In stillness, we learn to listen not just with our ears, but with our hearts.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed already, don’t worry. Silence is not about achieving perfection or becoming a monk overnight. It’s about being intentional and starting where you are. Here are a few simple ways to begin:

1. Start Small
   Try to work your way up to five minutes a day. Set a timer initially for one minute, sit comfortably, close your eyes, and simply breathe. When your mind wanders (and it will), gently bring your attention back to your breath or a simple prayer word like “peace” or “Jesus.” You can increase this as you’re able. I heard that the high school youth worked their way up to a few minutes while they were at Montreat Camp.

2. Create a “Silence Zone”
   Designate a time or place in your home where phones and devices are off-limits. Even one corner of quiet can become holy ground. 

3. Use Scripture as a Gateway
   Choose a short verse (e.g., “Be still and know that I am God”) and repeat it slowly, letting it lead you into silence. This practice, sometimes called lectio divina, can help ease the transition from active prayer to contemplative silence.

4. Walk in Silence
   Go for a walk without earbuds or conversation. Notice the world around you—trees, birds, clouds. It’s amazing how much we miss when we’re talking (even in our heads).

5. Incorporate Silence in Worship
   As a congregation, we can be more intentional about leaving space for silence in worship services—before prayers, after Scripture, during communion. These small gaps make room for big things to happen. The period of silent reflection following the sermon is designed for us to do just that – let the words fade away and focus instead on our internal processing. 

Practicing silence isn’t about escaping the world; it’s about becoming fully present to it—anchored in God’s presence and better equipped to respond with compassion and clarity. As Ross puts it, “The silence of God is the divine hospitality that waits upon us with infinite patience” (Writing the Icon of the Heart, p. 32).

Silence isn’t easy, but it’s worth it. And like most spiritual disciplines, it gets better with practice. So take a breath, turn down the volume, and listen. You just might find that God has been speaking all along.