And no one dare Disturb the sound of silence. Silence like a cancer grows. If silence is viewed as a cancer, no wonder people avoid it. They are found in the midst of an ancient hymn celebrating triumph over trouble and the rock-solid conviction that, no matter what, God is with us and God is in control. In the hurly-burly of life, we might not notice that, but in silence, we hear and learn it again.
Silence is, after all, part of the natural order.
At nightfall and on the Sabbath, God falls quiet. Correspondingly, there is for us, the creatures of God, a natural rhythm not only of work and rest, but also of sound and silence. His life reflects a balance of the two. On that last night with his disciples, there was the meal together, then an exit to the quiet of the garden for solitary prayer. My grandmother spoke to me on this occasion, as she always did to her grandchildren and children, with the plain speech.