I feel an increasing desire to be silent with friends. Words are important in bringing hearts together, but too many words can alienate us from one another. Not every event has to be told, not every idea has to be shared. Once an atmosphere of mutual trust is present we can be silent together and let God be the One who speaks, gently and softly.
It is a paradox that we encounter so much internal noise when we first try to sit in silence.
Only in silence the word,
only in dark the light,
only in dying life.
Silence open the inner fount from which the word arises.
The act of inner attention seems to create a medieval walled garden. It is hedged about with silence and stillness, but silence and stillness are not the heart of it. At the center is a fountain and we see that everything has arranged itself around the water playing in the sunlight: here is the source of the timelessness that is everywhere apparent. The more deeply we enter, the more the fountain soars above; awe and wonder claim us.
It asks that we learn how to live, to make a particular path and fullness out of the spirit's eternity and silence.
Divine peace has an inner and outer manifestation. Exteriorly, it manifests as fire, as zeal, as transformation, as death and rebirth. Interiorly, it manifests as silence, as knowledge, as joy, as union with the Beloved: a joy of union that is capable of communicating itself to others.
One little person giving all of her time to peace makes news. Many people giving some of their time to peace can make history.
We don't have peace within ourselves, and yet we talk about peace. When we bring peace to our inner self, then it will flow from us out to the people, to the world.
If you take time to listen, you will know that peace can be felt within. Peace is the flower of silence. It is deep acceptance of yourself and everyone. It is all inclusive. Reject one person, remain angry toward one person and you cannot feel your peace. You enter your peace when you leave all these thoughts and feelings of separation behind. Peace is there when judgment drops away. It opens its heart to you when words and thoughts cease.
Diversity is the world of form in all its infinite variety of textures, colors, contrasts, and differences. Not only are we different from each other, but everything is different from one moment to the next -- everything is change. We are all part of one single unity, but we're also very different. We can't do peacemaking in the world -- in fact, we can't do anything effective in the world -- without taking our differences into account.