1 Kings 19:11-13
“He said, “Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.” Now there was a great wind, so strong that it was splitting mountains and breaking rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind, and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake, and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire, and after the fire a sound of sheer silence. When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. Then there came a voice to him that said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?””
I attended a concert in 2015 that I’ll never forget. The artist who made the show so memorable was Sarah Louise. I’ll set the stage a bit for you. The show was a part of Hopscotch Music Festival, an annual festival in Raleigh that utilizes many different downtown venues to showcase artists from around the country. The main draws for the festival that year, who would play the big downtown main stage, were bombastic rock bands: Godspeed, Deerhunter, and TV on the Radio. My big moment at the festival as a fan, however, took place in an unassuming, off the beaten path, quiet theater. I had been tipped off by my friend Ryan Gustafson that Sarah Louise’s set was one I should catch. I gave her music a listen in prep for the show, but nothing could have prepared me for how powerful and transcendent her set felt.
What made the set so memorable? Sarah performed an instrumental set of songs on acoustic 12-string guitar. She did so much with so little. You could hear a pin drop during certain moments.
Two things are happening during a performance like this:
The audience leans in, eagerly anticipating the next note of music. Once you get a taste of what’s happening, the exquisite, magic subtleties of the performance compel you to surrender your full attention.
Big, deep, rewarding musical dynamics are revealed. With quiet music you can hear details like the performer’s breathing or the performer’s fingers shifting on the strings to find the next chord. Also, a quiet foundation allows for a big dynamic range when the musician decides to emote loudly for a spell.
1 Kings 19:11-13 reminds me of Sarah’s performance. Elijah expects to find God in the big dramatic moments, but God emerges with a quiet whisper afterwards. Elijah finds what he was looking for in the quiet moment. Perhaps God’s intention was to have Elijah lean in. A takeaway for me is this: to hear God and to experience the full power of my relationship with God, I will need to lean in and listen. Quietude and intention are key. It’s not an easy thing to carve out quiet time, but there is fruit waiting for those of us who do it.
Are you yearning to feel God’s presence in your life? Can you reserve some blocks of time for stillness?
*Sarah Louise’s “Field Guide” album is available to stream on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, etc. Perfect music for a peaceful, meditative walk.