R S Thomas and Advent: "Within listening distance of the silence we call God..."

But the silence in the mind

is when we live best, within

listening distance of the silence we call God...

It is a presence, then,

whose margins are our margins; that call us out over our

own fathoms.

It's the eve of Advent which is a season of depth and waiting, of promise, hope and patience. Just as the frantic frenetic fanaticism of fundamentalist consumerism reaches its fantastic fever pitches of greed and getting, I welcome not an excuse, but a reason, to find time and space for silence and ungrasping.

And yes, that last sentence is overwrought and over-written, but it tries to describe a culture that is equally overwrought and precisely at this time of year descends into the chaos of hyper-consumerism.

So these words of R S Thomas draw me towards the mystery of that which cannot be purchased; remind me of a grace that has no barcode, and gives access to the Good and all goods without a credit rating. And Thomas recognises that the depths of human longing and hoping reverberate with the presence and promise of God, that we are beings with our own unfathomable reaches, beyond our ken but within the knowing of a love eternal and constant.

The photo was taken on the Fort William road, the reflection of the hills over the depths of the loch an icon of the human being, the reflected image of God. A place that invites us to come within listening distance of the silence of God.

Veni Emmanuel.

s

 

Comments

[Jane T Brady]

A joy to discover your Advent reflection and the R.S. Thomas quote after a visit to St. Michael's Church, Eglwysfach, a week ago. You may know "within listening distance of the silence we call God" is inscribed on a memorial plaque just outside the entrance.
Blessings.

[Jim Gordon]

Glad to hear from you Jane. You are far travelled this Advent. May you be blessed as another three travellers were blessed when they too brought their gifts as an offering. And no Ididn't know about the memorial plaque, thank you. If we ever are free to expand the canon, I'd like to have a few of RST's poems appended to the Psalms - Shalom the noo!

[mona garner]

hi, thanks for your wonderful blog. I've been reading it for about 4 years.
i love book recommendations amongst other things.

i have a question. on your side bar, a blog you like is 'ruth learning to think'
i've looked and looked and cannot find anything personal who is ruth?
i would like to know who's stuff i'm reading !

thanks again, for your lovely blog. i know it takes quite a bit of time
as what you write is very well thought out.
sincerely , mona Lee Garner (Arkansas)

[Jim Gordon]

Hello Mona and thank you for your kind words about the blog. I'm always encouraged when people find sense and sustenance in what is written here and read in so many other places. I can now add Arkansas to that geographical spread of friends! I think the blog referred to has either chaged its name and link, or has discontinued. I;ll check it out and fix it if I can. All good wishes from Aberdeen, Scotland.