LXXXVI
Be Still in God’s Presence
(6/21)
Be still and know that I am God. (Psalm 46:10)
We need a still point in the turning world, as T.S. Eliot counsels. We need a center in the cyclone. Life is coming at us fast. Though many of us shelter in place, our lives are anything but peaceful. We lament the rising death tolls from the Coronavirus. We feel the pain of those who protest injustice. We struggle with our own sense of helplessness to effect any change in the complexities of politics and public policy.
Stillness can be the catalyst for creative action. From my studies of the Hebraic/Jewish and Christian mystical traditions, I have learned that from stillness emerges a sense of vocation. In quiet, we discern the path ahead and our responsibility to those around us.
But we need quiet. We need to slow down our busy minds. We need to still our multitasking so we can hear the voice of God.
Stillness isn’t easy for most of us. But, we can be still and know that God is. Stillness can be as simple as pausing for a few moments each hour to breathe deeply, centering ourselves in God’s presence.
We can read devotional literature as a way to focus our minds and then take several minutes resting in God’s presence. We chant a prayer such as “Lord have mercy upon me” or say a prayer word over and over like “love,” “joy,” or “peace,” to pierce the chaos and awaken to the still, small voice of God.
Let us be still in the presence of God. Let us center in God’s Center. Let God breathe in and through you to bring peace to your heart and the world.
Here is a version of “Be Still My Soul” – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kqKVFYD8Obc
+++
Let me be still and know you are with me. Let my silence be the source of energy for healing and transformation for myself and the world. Amen.
+++
Bruce Epperly is a Cape Cod pastor, professor, and author of over 50 books including FAITH IN A TIME OF PANDEMIC, GOD ONLINE: A MYSTIC’S GUIDE TO THE INTERNET, and the upcoming HOPE BEYOND PANDEMIC.
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In