Well, about a month after most back in the States finished
up classes, Fernando and I are finally coming to the end of the semester, and
our first year in Rome. The year has
been great; it was full of joy and challenges, both of which motivate and
strengthen us to take and the summer and next year.
Writing on this blog, in its own way, was a important
experience. We got to see first hand how
the power of the internet can be used to share our experiences and, hopeful,
build up the Christina community. In
this world were the New Evangelization should be on everybody’s mind, the opportunity
to witness personally to the joy and blessing of life in Christ is all the more
important.
Yet as we get closer and closer to almost a year of
blogging, I want to point to something, perhaps counter-intuitive which the
pope said recently. In his annual
address for the World Day of Communications, Benedict drew attention to the importance,
in this world of radio, TV, and Youtube, of silence. Here is what he said:
Silence is an integral element
of communication; in its absence, words rich in content cannot exist. In
silence, we are better able to listen to and understand ourselves; ideas come
to birth and acquire depth; we understand with greater clarity what it is we
want to say and what we expect from others; and we choose how to express
ourselves. By remaining silent we allow the other person to speak, to express
him or herself; and we avoid being tied simply to our own words and ideas
without them being adequately tested. In this way, space is created for mutual
listening, and deeper human relationships become possible. It is often in
silence, for example, that we observe the most authentic communication taking
place between people who are in love: gestures, facial expressions and body
language are signs by which they reveal themselves
to each other. Joy, anxiety, and suffering can all be communicated in silence –
indeed it provides them with a particularly powerful mode of expression.
Silence, then, gives rise to even more active communication, requiring
sensitivity and a capacity to listen that often makes manifest the true measure
and nature of the relationships involved. When messages and information are
plentiful, silence becomes essential if we are to distinguish what is important
from what is insignificant or secondary…Read more.
This is a humbling message for Fernando and I, reminding us
that it is not so much the words that we say but the message that we
communication; it is not that you hear
my words, but the Word, who has come from the Father. And silence is an essential part of that.
So as we head of to our summer works, myself to Guatemala to
learn Spanish and Fernando to India to work with the poor, we hope to keep you
up to date and continue to share the experiences the Lord gives us. But we want to encourage you to reflect on
the role silence plays in your life.
When all the blogs go silent and the internet is shut down, can you
participate in the depth of communication that happens then?
Please pray for us as we take our exams. Since this post did lend itself to pictures,
enjoy some random one that (I hope) I haven’t put up this year.
p.s. Here’s a song by Switchfoot that hits on the similar
theme.
