A new stillness brings the chance for our souls to breathe

A blanket of silence has descended on our roads and lanes in my home island of Guernsey. Where once walkers were dodging endless lines of busy traffic, now they can wander quite freely except for the occasional passing car. In this period of quietness, we are hearing new sounds. Birdsong and the hum of bees is replacing clunky diesels and screeching scooters. We can hear the waves lapping on the beach. Building sites are silent and once busy offices deserted. We have entered a season when we can at last hear our own heartbeat. And, at least for most of us, it is beating fast with fear.

‘When I am afraid, I put my trust in you (Lord)’. These are the words of King David in Psalm 56. He knew lots of fear in his life too and decided that he needed to choose faith not fear in order to cope with his many deadly challenges.

If there is any silver lining to our current dark cloud of Corona virus lockdown, it is in the stillness that surrounds us. Just as it allows us to hear nature, so a place of quietness each day will enable us to hear from heaven. When I was a young Christian, we were encouraged to plan to have a quiet time each day when we would read a portion of the Bible and pray. God can speak to us in the stillness. It is still of infinite value to Diane and myself today, especially at a time like this. Maybe this season of isolation gives you a good opportunity to reinstate that habit.

Once when the prophet Elijah was facing the threat of imminent death, following a national period of crisis, he went up a mountain to be alone with God. There he saw a vision of an earthquake, a raging storm of wind and a blazing fire. He discovered that God was not in those things. Then he heard a gentle whisper and realised that the Lord was speaking to him. That gentle whisper became his lifeline.

As we have time to be still in these difficult days, let’s listen for that gentle whisper again, and in our fearful hearts choose to trust in God.