Hello, My name is Jima. Welcome to another reflection from the WCCM Young channel. Here we share teachings from John Main, Laurence Freeman and the Christian contemplative tradition. Today, I will be reading a reflection from 'The Experience of Being' written by Laurence Freeman. Part one: The Work of Silence. Lift up your heart to God with humble love, mean God himself, not what you get out of him. It's the basis of meditation. Excerpt from 'The Cloud of Unknowing' There is a story of three monks who went to make a silent retreat like this together, and they decided to be in complete silence for the retreat. The first evening they lit a candle as they were sitting around, and then they said, Now we go into silence, Just as they were about to pray, the candle went out and the first monk said: 'Oh, the candle's gone out!' And the second monk said: 'I thought we were supposed to be quiet.' And the third monk laughed and said: 'Ah, I'm the only one who hasn't spoken yet'. So, it's very easy to make these unconscious exceptions. But see the silence as the journey you're making. And as a liberation from this habit we have of constant chatter and constant, unnecessary communication. We are moving to a much deeper level of communication in the silence.
