The Sound of Silence

A few weeks ago, we watched "Shadowlands," the telling of C.S. Lewis' love discovered and love lost. The film provided a glimpse into the teacher's lounge (for lack of a better term) at Oxford University. The professors entered and sat. Sometimes they sat in silence staring into a fire. Sometimes they read. Never did you see them sitting alone.

And then conversation would bubble up in one of these little rings. The topic would be kicked around like a ball during soccer practice. While the topic delved deeply and the conclusions weighed heavily, the most profound aspect of this banter to me was the depth of fellowship enjoyed by those learned men. No doubt the deep quality of these individuals owed in large part to the honing provided by their fellow scholars.

Let me reiterate, much of the time was spent in silence. They would abide with one another in contemplative meditation simply enjoying the presence of the other.

Herein is relationship. Herein is fellowship. Flesh and blood meets flesh and blood.

What constitutes the majority of our relationships today? Are they a cell call and a quick text? Are they through e-mail or blogging? Or do we enjoy the company of one another? In one scene, C.S. Lewis and his brother merely sat in their living room. Neither spoke. They just sat. No TV (they had none at the time). The radio was off.

Would we go mad in the silence of our living room? Or would we discover fellowship and friendship of greater depth and beauty?

The thought scares me.