Often we come to meet God for a ritual. Tired, bustling, with “neglected” mind. There were so many empty words, wounds, superfluous words that we regret, with some taste of struggle and “unfinished matter” with God. Like a failed date. We said polite goodbye, but the feeling of dissatisfaction remained. So we bring into the meeting this sustained accumulated uncertainty, incompleteness. And something subtle, pure, childish slips away. You start getting used to living with it. It’s like a failed marriage. Everything looks fine, bright and joyful, but something has slipped away, as if the man got lost – the one of whom everyone expected something great to happen in his life, some kind of marvelous miracle, but things turned out just like with all others.
Here we can receive the power of silence. I want to invite you into the power of silence, which we are all fear, because it brings no income, earns no living, it’s unaccustomed, it is judged in this world. Some call it idleness, nonsense.
But Silence is the sister of eternity. Silence already proceeds from eternity, because it can never be complete: some bug will buzz, a bird will chirp, sing. But it will all come in time, it will be God’s breath. But when we pollute the air with our fears and disorder, we create chaos.
There is a healing power of silence. A stream of healing flowing from silence. A person keeping silent may look different and can present silence in different ways. One would simply be sleeping. Another tries to find the eternal meaning. The third one tries to meditate, but it works not. The fourth has found it and is enjoying. And all of them are already touching eternity…
Don’t be afraid of silence! There is a healing power of silence. Find that warm, soft, gentle, friendly flow that comes with silence. Even children can understand silence.
Starting where silence is, we can create, find the flow of the pulse of the Universe, the flow of life, not without reason the River in heaven, flowing from the Throne, is called the “River of Life”. Life is a river and faith is a stream. How fast does God’s River flow? – With the speed of the pulse of God, because it flows from the Throne.
Different of us people have different rivers: someone has a stormy one, with stones, with bumps and dangers; with another it is already getting quieter; another murmurs merrily like a creek, but the River flows from the life of God.
We are in the River … Only sometimes we push in the opposite direction, either across or directly resist, or in a hurry. And you just need to relax and find the pulse of the flow in order to harmonize with the harmony of eternal life.
Close your eyes and feel. You know this River. Now you can immerse yourself into feeling it, and the Lord can take you high. We’re not doing any exercise, I just wanted to share about silence – glorify it, praise it… It’s beautiful. We are afraid of it, because we have not yet understood, we have not stopped.
The flow of life is stronger than your tension. It will still take you. A bug gets into the river and tries to resist it. God will do as He will. Life will take over. But worrying inside and making noise is stupid. Learn to receive the healing power of silence. Learn to swim, surrendering to this flow.
Even now I would jump into the river, sing and drink, drink and sing, sing drinking, drink singing, and fly, surrendering to the Spirit of Life – Jesus Christ of Nazareth. The Spirit confessing Jesus Christ who came in the flesh is within me. The Spirit of the Son of God, the Messiah, is in me. Jesus is my true Lord of all my life. This is for those who doubt…
You don’t have to say your friend’s name every time you’re with him. It is not necessary to repeat his name to your friend. When he is far – maybe – but when he is very close – you may say nothing. But you don’t ask for everything right there – everything in the world: You are so close – now I’ll ask, like a gypsy in the market, like a stupid wife, when her husband is in good mood …
“Martha! Martha! You are anxious and troubled about many things, but only one thing is needed” (Luke 10:41-42). My sister and my brother! You worry about a lot! You worry and care… About many things… Mary chose the good part – the best, and this shall not be taken away from her.
Who is Jesus then, when He gives out such gifts? – This is Himself! The One Who is Life.
Once a man was sitting, contemplating, thinking, and suddenly it dawned on him, he entered the portal, saw himself: here sits some old man, alone, just like that, with all the belongings of his wisdom, awards, regalia, worries, deeds – good and evil…. Just sitting in terms of eternity.
Someone asked, “What are you doing?” He replied, “Nothing.” So wise he got that he didn’t do anything. The other says: “But you do that you do nothing.”
Where is that key to the Seal?
Contemplation of God, worship of God is beyond the senses. You worship above the senses. You are not looking for feelings. You are not looking for experiences. They are small compared to His greatness. You are not looking for thoughts from God. You are not a thought catcher. You trust. You rise above experience – above the good, beaten track – rise and go even higher from it. You don’t need experience, not even your trance . Don’t grab onto it.
Worship. Worship. Trust. Having completely given yourself, trusting. I belong to the Other. You, vanity and the world, you people – I love you, but I can’t – I belong to the Other. Farewell! I belong to the Other!
To think doesn’t mean to contemplate. Contemplation and worship must be pure. Pure – from thoughts, from feelings, from experience, from attempts. The Lord wants to take us into His Kingdom, into His mystery, into His freedom – freedom to love, freedom to soar – pure, virginal knowledge – above concepts, above conclusions. But this the Word, and this Word is God.
My true dwelling, my place in eternity – it is created only for me. My dwelling is just for me. And here, on earth, I can enter my dwelling place – this is my true “self”. You know that the dwelling place will be a part of you. There will be no materials from which it is made. Your happy, blissful self. This is the home of your personality. Your dwelling… The perspective is too small to take you there.
Healing silence. From everything. In silence there is light. Adam was silent. He gave names to creation, but it is very difficult for us to understand the words of Adam in paradise, in Eden. Eve spoke to the serpent, Adam spoke to God…
In these cities – complex, difficult, systemic cities, we lose ourselves. We self-destruct. We pay with blood for bread. We give our strength, sleep, health, energy. We eat and give again, to eat again, to give again. This is blood payment. You can count how many drops of blood your working day is worth. Can this really be all?
Cities of people. Cities of people. Pain in the cities of people. Struggle in the cities of people. Dangers in the cities of people. Death in the cities of people. Dead churches in the cities of people. Dried springs in human cities. Born to lose in the cities of men. Cities of people. Agitated, restless, divided, in which people are against one another.
Even within the church there are dangers. Some continue to strain in the same way and expect danger inside the church. Even within the church there is struggle and danger…
Take me into silence, Lord. Take me above it! From the city of fighting for possession, competing, watching, fighting for possession, for the pursuit of pleasure, special pleasure.
Contemplation has a way. Outwardly it may look severe. Rough path. It is not easy to find peace and joy in this dark world – in the world of cities. One must learn to love in order to find one’s great happiness. The Lord gives us a very powerful source – the contemplative life – when you see what is hidden. Day, night, years, maturity, youth – all is vanity! You see through it all.
You don’t go to great lengths to find things. It takes you out. You yield to the flow. You know that life will win. You didn’t do it, it found you. You didn’t save yourself. You’ve been saved. You don’t build your bliss. They give it to you. Why are you so tense? Of little faith? – Believe! Return! trust.
Someone bigger than me solves my problems. I don’t solve them. You don’t have to solve problems. It may remain unresolved – still wait, be patient until life itself resolves it or it doesn’t.
Even death became a sister to Francis. The most terrible enemy – but this man made friends with her. Scripture says that the worst enemy is death. And Francis – hugged her and made friends! That’s it – yes … He said: “Lord, be glorified from my sister death.
She doesn’t know how to praise, and Francis speaks for her, as if interceding with God for her. He found this terrible creature, sat next to her and praises on her behalf, sister death.
Each of us will die alone. The people around you will not help you. You will die alone. If you die even with someone holding your hands, you don’t die with the someone – you die alone. And you have to learn to live alone. Learn to live alone, even if someone is next to you. This will make you a knight of the Spirit – deep, strong, confident and wise. But when you are always dissolving in your neighbor, in fears, you become a slave.
You have no mystery – you are poor! A man is strong as long as he has a mystery. You know how you lose power when you unveil your mystery. As if something powerful leaves you. Therefore, gather, gather this mystery of contemplation, the mystery of worship.
The Garden of Gethsemane should be inside every man of God. It is tended, but it has to have blood, so it will be until we leave for eternity. Your Garden of Gethsemane must always be covered with blood. This is beautiful. Don’t try to get rid of misunderstandings, contradictions, pain. Keep them fresh. My Gethsemane! I love you! Don’t leave! I love you!
In oneness with yourself. Through torment – to myself, to God in me. To the true freedom.
You see, you can fly without wings. Because there is deep below us, and it is of the light. It came from the light and goes to the light. Simply trust. But not simply. There are dangers. Let’s not talk about it now.
Love instead of tension. Love instead of zeal. The healing power of silence. Receive! Above feelings, above thoughts, above experience. The endless stream is already flowing. It flowed before us, it will flow after us. It is the eternity.
Enter in now. The mighty, powerful strength of the River of Life is from the Throne. I chose me, captured me, carrying me through pain, bumps, fears, but I trust … Yes, if You so desire, I will live!
The Messiah lived a miserable life on earth from the point of view of a layman. What is it like to be a carpenter’s son? – To be malnourished, everything is not the way it is with others… Life is so-so … Escape to Egypt. Refugee. Return to a dangerous place where You are hated. Have to be in patience until adulthood. Obedience to parents when You know more than they do. And then you have to be where you don’t feel well. They hate, they won’t listen. Shortages, malice… People around – whom You got to love, but who are so uncomfortable. Alone. Can’t share with anyone. Mother is a small woman who can’t comfort. Disciples are children, they cry all the time.
Jesus. In this mighty river rushed through this miserable earthly life. Thirty years! What could you experience within thirty years? He saw so little. Enjoyed so little. There weren’t even children, no wife or family life to get comforted.
Amazing God! A thorn from a thorn bush! Mountain – great, universe big! And hung on the Cross to resurrect…
Live for the resurrection! Don’t chase. Don’t suffer.
The healing power of silence. True worship. Be an inner world person. A man of contemplation. Contemplate this life. Watch as it takes you out to green pastures.
Lord, we love You, we thank You! This eternal, eternal, eternal Love! This eternal power! This eternal Wisdom! Who found us when we were blind and deaf, when we were enemies. When even now we bring sorrow and complicate our whole life. Every day we miss the point! Every day – our letters are twisted. Every day we break our house. And you simply remind us again and again that the River is higher!
I will be in the River, I will be in Your bliss. Teach me Your silence, teach me Your silence… “God was silent”…. Teach me your silence…