Writer's Wednesday -- Gail MacDonald

Seeking solitude and silence

The ancient Desert Fathers used to commit themselves to a disciplinary creed: silence, solitude, and inner peace... Only after adequate amounts of time listening did they consider themselves ready to speak...

Among many Christian women today, there is a strange sort of logic that suggests that spiritual resource and renewal are found in constantly seeking new voices, attending more meetings, listening to incessant music, and gathering to exchange half thought-out opinions. How often do we fall into the trap of believing that God is most pleased when we have maximized our information, our schedules, our relationships?...

Disengagement means silence before God, first of all. It is a time of heavenly discussion during which we listen more than we speak. And silence demands solitude.

-----Gail MacDonald, High Calling, High Privilege