I came across this quote while reading for my Mass Comm class and it has captivated me for weeks now. You see, Scripture says that God does not reveal Himself through earth shattering winds, nor does He reveal Himself through devastating earthquakes, but instead He chooses time and time again to reveal Himself in the form a "still small voice" (1 Kings 19).
Simply, we find God in the silence and the stillness. Prophets of the Ancient Near East would venture to the tops of mountains in order to encounter God, spending hours in prayer and solitude, waiting on the word of the Lord.
But what does this "solitude" mean within the context of our relationships with one another? What is it that Nouwen could be hinting at?
Here's the conclusion I have come to after examining this quote, and let me be clear, I am in no way suggesting that this is a biblical fact, because the truth is I don't know if it is or not, I just simply felt that this question would be a very interesting topic to explore.
First, The Genesee Diary was composed by Nouwen during a seven-month period spent in a Trappist monastery while on sabbatical. Contrary to popular belief, Trappist monks do not take a vow of silence, but instead choose only to speak when absolutely necessary. The remainder of their time is spent in contemplative thought and prayer. This means that more often than not, Nouwen would have been in complete silence and solitude; free from interruption and distraction, and able to think and pray.
Second, "good" is the definition of God. In Mark 10:18, Jesus says "No one is good-except God alone," in Psalm 25, David refers to God's character as "good and upright," and Psalm 119:68a says "You are good, and what You do is good." To say it plainly, who God is and what God does is good.
Finally, when applying these concepts to Nouwen's quote the question then becomes; if given the opportunity to dwell in solitude while in contemplative thought and prayer over our relationships, and if "good" is the definition of God, then does solitude make you more sensitive to God's presence in people?
But what does this "solitude" mean within the context of our relationships with one another? What is it that Nouwen could be hinting at?
Here's the conclusion I have come to after examining this quote, and let me be clear, I am in no way suggesting that this is a biblical fact, because the truth is I don't know if it is or not, I just simply felt that this question would be a very interesting topic to explore.
First, The Genesee Diary was composed by Nouwen during a seven-month period spent in a Trappist monastery while on sabbatical. Contrary to popular belief, Trappist monks do not take a vow of silence, but instead choose only to speak when absolutely necessary. The remainder of their time is spent in contemplative thought and prayer. This means that more often than not, Nouwen would have been in complete silence and solitude; free from interruption and distraction, and able to think and pray.
Second, "good" is the definition of God. In Mark 10:18, Jesus says "No one is good-except God alone," in Psalm 25, David refers to God's character as "good and upright," and Psalm 119:68a says "You are good, and what You do is good." To say it plainly, who God is and what God does is good.
Finally, when applying these concepts to Nouwen's quote the question then becomes; if given the opportunity to dwell in solitude while in contemplative thought and prayer over our relationships, and if "good" is the definition of God, then does solitude make you more sensitive to God's presence in people?
Could it then be safe to say that in the silence, when we eliminate the noise and commotion of everyday life, and really take the time to slow down and pray for someone, that we are more likely find and encounter God in them?
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