Waiting in Silence in a Loud and Fearful Age

In today’s Daily Office, I listened to the song “Waiting in Silence” by Carey Landry and read Psalm 30, Isaiah 8:1-15, 1 Thessalonians 3:6-18, and Luke 22:31-38. Here is a reflection on today’s prayer time and meditation,

Carey Landry’s simple refrain, “Waiting in silence, waiting in hope,” feels almost countercultural in our day. We live in a world saturated with noise—breaking news, social media outrage, endless commentary, and a constant stream of warnings about hidden enemies and looming disasters. Silence feels risky. Waiting feels irresponsible. And hope often feels naïve.

Yet Scripture consistently invites God’s people to resist the pull of fear-driven narratives and instead root their lives in reverent trust.

“Do Not Call Conspiracy What This People Call Conspiracy” (Isaiah 8:12–13)

Isaiah speaks into a time of political instability, foreign threats, and anxious rumor. The people of Judah were surrounded by fear, speculation, and competing loyalties. God’s word through the prophet is strikingly relevant:

“Do not call conspiracy all that this people calls conspiracy, and do not fear what they fear, nor be in dread. But the Lord of hosts, him you shall regard as holy.”

Isaiah does not deny the presence of real danger or corrupt leadership. Instead, he addresses the deeper spiritual temptation: allowing fear to redefine reality. Conspiracy thinking thrives on anxiety, suspicion, and the illusion of secret knowledge. It promises control but delivers bondage.

God redirects the faithful away from obsession with hidden plots and toward a holy fear—a reverent awe of the Lord. To “regard the Lord as holy” means He alone defines what is ultimate, what is real, and what deserves our deepest attention. When God is displaced from the center, fear rushes in to fill the vacuum.

“As for Me, I Said in My Prosperity…” (Psalm 30:6)

Psalm 30 exposes another danger of our time—not only fear, but false security:

“As for me, I said in my prosperity, ‘I shall never be moved.’”

This verse names the illusion that stability, wealth, power, or political dominance can make us invulnerable. Our age swings wildly between panic and pride: one moment convinced everything is collapsing, the next certain that the right leader, ideology, or system will save us.

The psalm reminds us how fragile these assurances are. Prosperity can lull us into self-reliance just as fear can drive us into despair. Both forget God.

Waiting in Silence as Faithful Resistance

This is where “Waiting in Silence” becomes deeply prophetic.

Silence is not passivity. It is resistance against manipulation, outrage cycles, and fear-based control. Waiting is not denial of evil; it is a refusal to let evil dictate our posture or identity.

In silence, we remember:

  • God is not anxious.
  • God is not surprised.
  • God is not absent.

Waiting in hope declares that God is still at work beyond headlines and hashtags. It trusts that truth does not need to shout to endure.

A Word for Our Day

In a time of conspiracy theories and morally compromised leaders, Scripture does not call us to withdrawal or ignorance—but to discernment shaped by reverence. We are invited to:

  • Fear God more than chaos.
  • Listen more than speculate.
  • Pray more than react.
  • Trust God’s sovereignty more than our ability to decode events.

Waiting in silence is how we re-center our lives on God’s holiness. It is how we resist becoming people driven by dread or drunk on certainty. It is how hope survives.

In the quiet, God steadies our hearts and reminds us: “Be still, and know that I am God.”

Silence and Solitude

The Christian disciplines of silence and solitude are ancient spiritual practices that have been central to Christian spiritual formation since the early Church. They are not merely about being alone or quiet but are deeply intentional disciplines that foster intimacy with God, deepen self-awareness, and cultivate spiritual maturity.


1. What Is Silence in the Christian Tradition?

Silence is the practice of intentionally refraining from speaking or listening to noise in order to create space for God.

  • External Silence: Turning off distractions—phones, music, news, conversations—to allow a space where God’s voice can be heard.
  • Internal Silence: Quieting the inner noise of thoughts, worries, and mental clutter. This is often the harder silence to enter.

“Be still and know that I am God.” — Psalm 46:10

In silence, we resist the compulsion to fill space with words. It helps us:

  • Listen more attentively to the Holy Spirit
  • Cultivate humility by recognizing that not all needs our commentary
  • Let go of control and trust in God’s presence and voice

2. What Is Solitude in the Christian Tradition?

Solitude is the spiritual discipline of intentionally spending time alone with God and away from people for the purpose of spiritual renewal.

  • Not loneliness, but sacred aloneness
  • Not escape from the world, but preparation to return to the world differently

“Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.” — Mark 1:35

In solitude, we:

  • Meet God without the noise of others’ expectations
  • Confront our true selves without masks
  • Rest from the demands of life and ministry

3. Why Are Silence and Solitude Important Today?

In a world of constant noise, notifications, and busyness, silence and solitude are countercultural. They help us:

  • Recover clarity: We become aware of our attachments, fears, and hopes.
  • Renew strength: Resting in God re-centers and re-energizes us.
  • Deepen prayer: Our prayers become less about words and more about presence.
  • Grow in love: By being alone with God, we are better able to love others from a place of peace.

4. How to Begin Practicing Silence and Solitude

Start small and be patient. It is a lifelong journey.

  • Begin with 5–10 minutes a day. Sit in silence, breathe, and simply say, “Here I am, Lord.”
  • Go on a silent retreat (even a few hours in a park or chapel).
  • Create a sacred space in your home with a candle, Bible, and chair.
  • Practice listening prayer—speak less, listen more.
  • Resist the urge to do—this is not about productivity, but presence.

5. Voices from the Christian Tradition

  • Henri Nouwen: “Without solitude, it is almost impossible to live a spiritual life.”
  • Thomas Merton: “In silence, God ceases to be an object and becomes an experience.”
  • St. Benedict: Monastic life was built around times of silence and withdrawal from the world.

A Closing Prayer

Lord of the Quiet,

Teach me to seek You in stillness.
Pull me away from the noise that dulls my spirit.
Help me rest in the silence where Your voice becomes clear.
In solitude, shape me into one who loves You more deeply
and loves others more freely.

Amen.