“And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden
In the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves
From the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden”
(Genesis 3:8)
DEAFENING SOUNDS of modern life, such as traffic, the cacophony of voices of millions of people milling in large cities or the sound of factories, is directly and indirectly affecting our health. Therefore, some governments are holding campaigns to promote silence; they invite citizens to moderate the use of horns in the streets, to put muffles in their motors and build workplaces that generate high decibel noise the outskirts of cities.
As you can see, silence is and can be something desirable. Perceiving silence in favorable circumstances is relaxing and restful; it puts us in touch with nature sounds and it’s an invitation to think about creation as an act of God’s infinite love for His children. This is a silence that builds bonds of love with God. On the other hand, there is a silence that’s destructive.
Destructive silence 1s the exact opposite of what 1 have just described.
Destructive silence is that of parents who, worrying about their problems don’t find the time to listen to the cries of their children, who end up choosing not to say anything. Destructive silence is the one generated between husband and wife who, because of lack of conversation, expressions of affection or recognition, start becoming strangers to one another. Destructive silence is a voice that quiets when it should speak to defend the rights of other human beings who are clearly being trampled on. Just as silence is important for physical health, there are times when remaining silent is fatal to emotional and spiritual health, arid to human relationships. The key is to know how to tell the difference.
Silence that destroys reasoning and the heart should be replaced by the soft sound of a loving mother’s voice, a child’s laughter, young people’s conversation and the soft words of a father who disciplines with love and a husband who says ”I love you.»