By Barb Arland-Fye
One of my favorite Scriptures in the Old Testament related to prayer focuses on an “exchange” between the Lord and Elijah:
“Then the Lord said, ‘Go outside and stand on the mountain before the Lord; the Lord will be passing by.’ A strong and heavy wind was rending the mountains and crushing rocks before the Lord — but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake — but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake there was a fire — but the Lord was not in the fire. After the fire there was a tiny whispering sound. When he heard this, Elijah hid his face in his cloak and went and stood at the entrance of the cave. A voice said to him, ‘Elijah, why are you here?’…”
Those verses remind me of a professor’s observation in spirituality class a couple of years ago. “God’s language is silence,” Father Joe DeFrancisco, S.T.D., told us. Silence is not my favorite mode of communication, but when I still myself — in the midst of a busy moment or day — I feel better equipped to listen to God.
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