6.28.2011

In Tragic Moments

Silent Noise


Sometimes deeply tragic events happen in our lives and in the lives of those we love.
I am learning over time that in such situations there are no perfect words to speak. There are no perfect explanations to provide. And there is no way to undo what has been done.

Instead of saying or doing - in moments of tragedy, we can just focus on being. Being present. To be a silent presence of love and compassion is often one of the most beautiful ways of bringing God's peace into a situation.

I found these quotes tonight. The first quote took awhile to find, but I believe it describes a reality we all know to be true within our hearts.

“The most basic and powerful way to connect to another person is to listen. Just listen. Perhaps the most important thing we ever give each other is our attention…. A loving silence often has far more power to heal and to connect than the most well-intentioned words.”
-Rachel Naomi Remen

"Well-timed silence hath more eloquence than speech."
-Martin Fraquhar Tupper

2 comments:

  1. So true!

    I was a teen when my older sister died suddenly. It was my first life experience of confronting a situation where there were no answers, no words, that could make sense of it. It was the faithful presence of friends and loved ones that made it possible for me to live and grow through that and other crises in my life.

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  2. Thank you for this beautiful comment, Andrea.

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