The phoebe sits on her nest Hour after hour, Day after day, Waiting for life to burst out From under her warmth. Can I weave a nest of silence, weave it of listening, listening, listening, Layer upon layer? But one must first become small, Nothing but a presence, Attentive as a nesting bird, Proffering no slightest wish Toward anything that might happen or be given, Only the warm, faithful waiting, contained in one’s smallness. Beyond the question, the silence. Before the answer, the silence.
May our slowing down this Advent be our gentle protest against
the violence of our rushing world. May our slowing down give
quiet, steady witness to the values of attentiveness, carefulness,
patience, receptivity, stillness. May our slowing down enable us
to make real and meaningful connections with people, nature,
work, art, and (most importantly) with God.
~ Melannie Svoboda, SND in her blog "Sunflower Seeds", November 28, 2016
