I would not be considered a quiet person by most. In fact, I can be quite loud and rambunctious. Although I am such a loud person, I have found great comfort in silence in my prayer life. It has not always involved silence. In fact, it was when I came to DePaul and started attending Taize prayer that I started to incorporate silence into my prayer and reflection time.

A small portion of Taize prayer is devoted purely to silence. Here at DePaul, that silence is only a few minutes long. I was fortunate enough to visit the Taize community in France with University Ministry last summer, and again for another week while I was studying this past semester in Paris. While at Taize, the entire community stops for prayer three times a day. Each time, ten minutes is devoted to silence. It is an incredible thing to experience: thirty-five hundred people engaging in intentional silence together.

Much of Taize prayer is very extroverted. There is a very strong  emphasis on music and singing. There is a great output of energy in the church as everyone sings together in many different languages. Suddenly, the mix of languages and music gives way to silence. The silence changes the entire dynamic. Other than the occasional sniff or sneeze, no sound is made. Instead of exerting energy, one has the opportunity to simply stop, to be empty and open.

I initially struggled with these ten  minutes. I couldn’t figure out what to do with myself. Ten minutes of silence three times a day is a full half hour of nothingness. Initially, it was scary, but I eventually found myself craving the silence. In emptying myself of distraction, I found I could let myself become far more aware of God’s presence. Instead of focusing on all the issues I have   swimming in my head, I can focus on God being present in me and present in the space around me. I can simply be with Him.

One of my favorite Taize songs is simply a repetition of the words “Be still and know that I am God.” Sometimes during silence I just repeat those words in my head. It’s like a reminder to myself that I can be with God merely by existing.  If God is ‘being,’ then for me focusing simply on the fact that I exist draws me closer to Him. In a way, silence is almost like spiritual and emotional nap. If I have issues weighing on my mind, engaging in silence and emptying myself of all thoughts is like stopping work to take a nap before re-engaging in my task at hand.  Waking up from a nap, one should feel stronger, calmer and more energized. Engaging in silence allows me to be spiritually    rejuvenated so that my mind can be open and ready for better reflection. I found that many times at Taize I had better reflection after the period of silence.

It has been a little difficult, but I have tried to continue intentional silence after leaving Taize. I typically will find myself on my own and just sit wherever I am and let my mind have a release. Initially, I had such a fear of this kind of silence. After having engaged so intentionally in it I find it has become a beautiful ten minute sanctuary where I am able to strengthen myself by doing nothing at all.

– Ellen Romer

Interfaith Scholar 2009-2010

Published in the Summer 2009 Issue of the Interfaith Review