Letting the Silence Unfold Between You and Others

Praxis Podcast with Rhett Smith

"Love consists in this, that two solitudes, protect and border and salute each other." -- Rainer Maria Rilke

A couple of weeks ago my wife and I returned from a "marriage adventure" on the Inca Trail in Peru. This adventure (through WinShape and Intrepid), led us for four days and 3 nights hiking along the 33 miles to Machu Picchu.

This was an unbelievable experience for my wife and I as we led four other couples on this marriage adventure. But probably one of the most transformative aspects of the trip was the moments (sometimes very long moments -- hours at a time) of silence as I walked along the trail. And what struck me most was the moments of silence between my wife and I. A comfortable silence where neither of us felt the need to talk or crack jokes, or lighten the levity with noise. But instead, it was that silence that drove me closer to God, and closer to her. And it was in that silence that I really grew.

In this episode I reflect on the importance of silence in relationships, which is something that I'm trying to work on and get better at in my own life.

In the episode I mention the wonderful book by Henri Nouwen, The Way of the Heart: Connecting to God Though Prayer, Wisdom and Silence.

And I also mention the book by Rainer Maria Rilke, Letters to a Young Poet.