Shush!

I attended Ash Wednesday services for the first time the other week. It was a special gathering that marks the beginning of Lent, that time period when folks give things up. That might be a good idea for all of us.

The minister began the service with scripture, song, and explanation of what would be occurring. Then she called the children up front and entertained them, as well as all the adults, with a tale about two monsters, Grump and Pout, shoes, and a cobbler. The children ranged in age from two to about six, and they sat engrossed as the minister changed her voice to give character to the monsters.

In the middle of the story, the spell was momentarily broken when a cell phone rang. I sat without turning around to see who was scrambling to find the thing and turn it off. The ringtone ended abruptly, and Catherine, God bless her composure, continued with the story without missing a beat.
Later in the service the phone went off again. I still managed not to turn toward the sound, and it again stopped quickly. After a couple of seconds, another sound came.

“DROID” filled the air and gave notice to all that the owner was turning off the phone. Of course, the sound of the voice was foreign to the sanctuary setting, and snickers from a row of teenaged girls followed.

I don’t blame the individual for his or her cell phone sounding off. Last summer I went on a mission trip, and during a church service the last night, my phone began playing “Rocky Top” at full volume. I thought I’d earlier turned off the phone but must have hit the wrong button. Those attending turned toward me and laughed. I sat with my head bowed low as my face turned crimson and nervously killed the unwelcomed music.

Part of our realities today is that most everyone has a cell phone stuck in his pocket or her purse. We jabber away on the things while driving, walking down the street, or just relaxing. The thoughts of doing without them send folks, especially those of the younger generations, into shivering fits. Unlike them, we who are older can remember when our homes only had one phone for the entire family. Some of us shared a line with one or more neighbors. Conversations were tethered to the spiraled cord that attached the handset to the base. Yep, we had it rough. However, many of us don’t have to have a phone.

That ringing cell phone made crystal clear the fact that our lives are too busy. More than that, we exist in constant states of noise. Televisions going, iPods blaring, and YouTube clips rolling keep our minds abuzz with auditory stimulation. But at some point, it all becomes nothing more than noise. Overloads of thumbing bass from earphones and racket from lawn mowers and weed eaters are causing some of our hearing losses.

What folks need more than anything else is silence. It’s when we find quiet that our minds and lives take deep breaths and experience that “aah” feeling that accompanies peace. So few places offer it to us. Church is one of them. It’s a place to be “of the world but not in the world. In silence we can reflect and then renew. Then we can go back to the hubbub of daily existence.

I’m going to make a renewed effort to turn my phone off more often, not just in church but at times when silence is the balm that is sorely needed. Sure, I might miss a call, but if it’s that important, the caller will leave a message or call again. Try it sometime. Just tell life to shush and enjoy the quiet.