Thought for the Week

AS I WRITE this I have just finished watching the Nadal v Muller tennis match. It was riveting and the standard of tennis was superb.

We were spellbound by some of the amazing serves and rallies, and as the fifth set went with serve game after game we wondered if there would ever be a winner.

Inevitably there was, but in this game noone deserved to be a loser.

However one thing that began to irritate me was the constant commentary on every stroke, every expression, every move and every piece of history about each player.

Just when we were trying to reflect on the genius of the play, there was another inane piece of commentary.

It seemed as if every second had to be filled with comment. It seemed as if there was just no room for silence.

It’s interesting how uncomfortable some people can be with silence.

It is a measure of how deep a friendship is when people can be in each others company in a comfortable silence.

The world is full of noise and we are so fortunate in Argyll that we can escape into stillness.

We can walk on a deserted beach when all we can hear is the sound of waves meeting the shore, or birds calling, or the grass whispering in the wind. We can sit on a rock and just be still. In scripture we are invited to be still to connect with God, and we recall the familiar words, ‘Be still and know that I am God’.

People often say that God doesn’t speak to people today, but I think the answer is to ask: ‘Where are you listening?’