While catching up on SALTcast‘s, I caught this gem, a radio story about silence at Quaker meetings, “Silence Among Friends” by Joni Murphy (12:07 mp3):
SALTcast is the podcast of the SALT Institute for Doc Studies (w/ PRX help). Each cast contains an audio story, accompanied by an appropos nugget of journalistic insight from SALT radio instructor Rob Rosenthal. Listen weekly and you’ve got yourself the equivalent of an online J-Skool degree.
I appreciate this insight on Quaker Meeting for Worship. It is delightful to hear the composition unfold as members share their experiences and perspectives. It feels like a warm way to introduce people to silent and the power of listening. Thank you.
As an attendent Quaker of Rathfarnham Meeting, Dublin, Ireland with
Chinese Taoist-Christian background, I have found myself refining in my personal journey,
of the “Gathered into Silent Ministry for each other ” of Quaker meeting which your wonderful recording has illustrated – to
“gathered into REACHing for the Unitive BACKGROUND SILENCE OF THE UNI-VERSE” where one is united with all meditators, contemplaters..PEOPLE TAKING TIME OUT.. ..transcending religions… and OPEN to the CREATIVE forces that GROWS all things in a FRESH, NEW way….
[DON’T forget we all sleep on average 1/3 of our lives – where our brain is more active than awake during the rapid-eye-movement period each night…where I believe the same forces do the same work in “SILENCE” to put us back on track….and grow nearer to when we did in the womb and as a baby]
It has given me fresh insights into the challenge of how not to polarise, but searching for complementary differences of BALANCING the Yin and Yang , the Shadow and the Light..that can be celebrated… in a new UNITY that is not just conforming but fulfilling most of the uniqueness of each individual….
All of which your broadcast seems to directly or indirectly touched on. Well done.
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