The power of the Unspoken word (May 15, 2007))

Infinite Peace!

Last Tuesday (May 15) at the Inner Work Circle we had another full-house (even though it wasn’t a special Open Evening session)! Around 21 people from different faiths came as we resumed our usual open circle discussion after a few holiday breaks and two consecutive Open Evening sessions.

We continued with our sharing of reflections and insights on a particular topic, and the theme last session was on SPEECH. It was a timely theme as the Philippines has been currently overwhelmed by the election fever and prior to the election day (May 14- the day before) our ears have all been bombarded with speeches, promises, and soliloquies (believable or not) of candidates here and there.

Interestingly, the sharings eventually centered more on whispered wishes, silent prayers and the unspoken words—rather than the words spoken-out loud. One interesting insight shared was how a prayer—the softer it gets, until it becomes a whisper or even a silent unspoken one—becomes as meaningful (if not, more meaningful and powerful) as a prayer said out loud for everyone to hear. The question posed was: “For whom to hear is a prayer said out loud anyway, and for whom to hear is a prayer offered silently?”

Sometime ago the TIWC took up the theme on “the power of the spoken word”. This recent reflections now gave another perspective of the power of the unspoken word (or whispered prayers).

One other interesting insight shared was the significance of silence in DIALOGUE (especially in interfaith or intercultural dialogue). As it has been oftentimes emphasized at The Peacemakers’ Circle, the silence in between the words are as important (if not, more important) as the words spoken and exchanged during a dialogue. As some would say: “Silence speaks louder than words.” Also, the words can sometimes be the source of misunderstanding between people in dialogue who come from different culture and faiths. In this instance, silence becomes a more effective mode of communication and understanding as it is universal and it is through which "heart-listening" is cultivated.