Chapter March 20

"In the quiet heart of stillness, we encounter the mystery of the divine. We find that the divine is not something distant or unreachable, but something that dwells within us, around us, and all through the world." - 50 Short Essays on Being Christian

The first light of dawn painted the sky in hues of apricot and rose, a gentle symphony of color unfolding above the sleeping city. From my window, perched high above the quiet streets, I watched as the world slowly stirred to life – a lone cyclist pedaling through the empty avenues, a baker opening the doors of his shop, the distant rumble of a delivery truck beginning its rounds. In that moment, suspended between the stillness of night and the awakening of day, I felt a profound sense of peace, a connection to something vast and tranquil that resided both within me and in the world around me.

It was in such moments of quiet contemplation, the ancient mystics tell us, that we encounter the mystery of the divine. They understood that the divine is not some remote entity dwelling in distant heavens, but a presence woven into the very fabric of existence, a whisper in the wind, a spark in the human heart. The challenge for us, in our modern lives, is to carve out these pockets of stillness, to quiet the incessant chatter of our minds and open ourselves to the whispers of the spirit.

Our world, it seems, is allergic to silence. We are bombarded with information, our days fragmented by the relentless demands of technology and the tyranny of the to-do list. Sofia, a young architect I know, confessed to me recently that she feels perpetually tethered to her phone, scrolling through emails and social media even as she walks down the street, her mind a whirlwind of deadlines and appointments. "It's like I'm afraid to miss something," she said, "but I'm also missing everything." This constant state of mental busyness, this frenetic pace of modern life, can leave us feeling depleted, disconnected, and adrift.

Yet, it is in the stillness, in the spaces between the notes, that the music truly resonates. When we allow ourselves to pause, to breathe, to simply be, we begin to tap into a wellspring of inner peace and clarity. Dr. Emma Sharma, a renowned physicist, shared with me her practice of taking long, solitary walks in the woods near her laboratory. It is during these quiet moments, she explained, that her most creative ideas emerge, solutions to complex equations appearing like flashes of insight in the stillness of the forest.

The paths to stillness are as diverse as the human spirit itself. For some, it may be found in the formal practice of meditation, in the rhythmic flow of the breath, in the gentle repetition of a mantra. For others, it may be in the mindful observation of nature, in the rustling of leaves, the lapping of waves against the shore, the intricate dance of a hummingbird's wings. Carlos, a gifted musician I met in a small café in Buenos Aires, described the profound sense of connection he experiences when playing the cello. "The music transports me," he said, "to a place beyond words, a place where I feel connected to something larger than myself." Whether through meditation, prayer, or creative expression, the essence of these practices lies in quieting the external noise and cultivating an inner space of receptivity.

In the stillness, we begin to recognize the divine spark within ourselves. We become aware of a deeper intelligence, a wellspring of wisdom and compassion that resides at the core of our being. This is not a mystical concept reserved for saints and sages, but a fundamental truth available to each of us. I recall a conversation I had with Maya, a hospice nurse, who spoke of the profound spiritual experiences she had witnessed at the bedsides of her patients. "In their final moments," she said, "I've seen a radiant light emerge in their eyes, a sense of peace that transcends the physical." It is in these moments of vulnerability, of letting go, that we often glimpse the depths of our own spiritual nature.

But the divine is not confined to the extraordinary or the profound. It can be found in the everyday moments of our lives, in the simple act of offering a helping hand, in the shared laughter with a friend, in the beauty of a sunset or a blooming flower. When we approach life with a sense of reverence, with an awareness of the interconnectedness of all things, we begin to see the world through a different lens. We recognize the sacred in the ordinary, the divine in the mundane.

Stillness, then, is not about withdrawing from the world, but about engaging with it more deeply, more authentically. It is about finding a center of gravity within ourselves, a place of peace and clarity from which we can navigate the complexities of life with greater wisdom and compassion. And so, I invite you to ask yourself: Where do you find stillness in your life? What practices can you cultivate to nourish your spirit and connect with the divine within and around you? The answers, like whispers in the wind, await your discovery.

"Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." - Psalm 46:10