Silence as a Way of Knowing

 Bernadette Roberts

Early on I decided that since God already knew all my thoughts, desires, problems and aspirations, then there was no need to inform him of any of this. To do so would be little better than talking to myself. It was sufficient just to be in His presence, be with Him and say nothing. I figured that if in total silence He knew what I knew, then in this same silence I might know something of what He knew, and there was a great deal I needed to know. 

What I learned is that silence itself is a way of knowing, for in this silence I eventually learned everything I ever needed to know. I also learned that it was not always easy to remain in silence, or do so for any length of time. But this was the challenge – the practice. The goal of course, was to make a perfect match between myself and the Divine, and though I knew I could never match the silence the Divine could bring about, yet from my side, I could be ready and waiting. In time I learned to ignore my roving mind and focus instead on the silence will, which, by contrast to the mind, was steadfast, non-moving, silent, glued to the Divine as to the stillpoint of being. It was obvious that my true oneness with God was not mental, not dependent upon whether or not I could think of Him. Rather, it was my will that was the silent energy center of my being that, like an umbilical cord, was somehow attached to the Divine.

Essays on Christian Contemplative Journey,
Chapter: Eucharist, A Christian Path, page 157