Be Still and Know that I Am God...

Newly ordained deacon Chori Jonathin Seraiah writes:

"Be still, and know that I am God" has always been a tough verse for me personally. I do not mind being patient while I wait for God to work (I have lots of practice at that), but sitting still is much harder than doing something to pass the time. We are inundated today with temptations that prevent us from sitting still. Grocery stores have tv's hanging from the ceilings, video screens playing commercials on the end of most aisles, and background music from three different directions. How hard it has become to find a place where we truly can "be still". Parents who do not see this clearly are often crippling their children's spirits without knowing it. Allowing them anything that gives a constant stream of distraction (internet, tv, music, etc.) numbs the mind to the discipline of "being still".

One of the reasons that I have thought about this lately is because of something that happened during my recent ordination to the diaconate. Laying prostrate on that cold marble floor of the Cathedral while the litany of the saints was being sung is an experience I will never forget. Face down, arms outstretched, and pleading with God to make me the clergyman He wants me to be; it is truly a time to "be still". Although you do not need to spend time prostrate on the floor of a Cathedral, when was the last time that you were intentionally "still" before God? Parents may have to have someone else watch the children, and those who live in mixed homes may need to find another location. Certainly silent Eucharistic adoration is a good way that this is done, but it is not the only one, and if we use it as an excuse to avoid "holy silence" at other times, then we are missing out on a wonderful blessing.

Read all of his post at The Maccabean.