“Let us be still and listen for all the sounds around us…
The noise of passing traffic, the steps of passers-by; a distant train or a barking dog; an aeroplane overhead…
The wind in the leaves, the rattle of branches; the singing of birds, the patter of rain; the rustle of autumn leaves or the quiet of winter snow…
The creak of a chair, the tick of a clock, the sound of our own breathing, the beating of our own hearts.
Let us listen to the sounds within us, sounds known only to ourselves…
The unspoken noise of our own tumbling thoughts,
the silent shouting of our own feelings…
The cascading pictures in our own minds’ eyes – all disturbing our quiet. Let us be still within.
Let us listen to a stillness deeper within us. Let us listen to the voice of inner silence.
Let us be still and know that God is here.”
Sydney H. Knight (1923 – 2004), Unitarian minister and hymn writer, quoted in Fragments of Holiness for Daily Reflection
Chorlton Unitarians 