• This Moment
• Transformation
• Risk-Taking
• Invite relationships
• An Octopus at Easter.
• Waiting
• A Message of Hope
• It Is Through The Face That We Encounter God
• Creativity in Cold Lentils
• Recovering Hope
• Truth Is A Two-Way Street
• Our chance to stand in solidarity
• Human Rights: a common meeting place?
• The Heart of God
• Dare to Dream
• Learning to Listen
• Finding meaning in the experience
• Towards An Understanding of Home
• Silence
• Peregrinasaun Haksolok Hamutuk
• Peace
• The Big Show
• Weakness and Strength
• United in Peace
• The Ring
• ACUSA
• Archived Thoughts of the Week

I’m a librarian and people jokingly often say “ssshhh” in conversations with me. In fact my husband in a teasing manner says that I have a degree in saying “ssshhh”. When I look at the Oxford English Dictionary (available online through the Library) there are some lovely definitions of the word silence including a definition that talks about silence and ‘stillness’ or ‘complete quietness’.

I’m not sure that we value silence or stillness or quietness as much as we should. We are all very good at being busy, pre-occupied, thinking ahead to the next task. How often do you hear people talk about how busy they are? Isn’t it almost a mark of pride to say how late we worked? Are we scared of being still or silent? Being busy doesn’t sound quiet or still – it sounds noisy and rushed. I strive daily to get my life and work into some sort of balance. Maybe if I practice silence or stillness on a regular basis I can start achieving that balance?

This week I will try silence.

I will try and spend time being still and quiet, and practising silence.

• Kate Bunker,
• Library,
• Canberra