A Silent Ride

Did you know that in the Philippines, Lent is traditionally a quiet time? Loud noises are discouraged, many TV and radio stations shift their programming, and as the volume of life goes down, people can listen for the voice of God. You can read more about Lent in the Philippines here, but your family can also try to capture some of that same magic by experimenting with silent car rides.

Car rides exist in a rarefied middle space between destinations, and are a prime opportunity for introspection. But when we turn the radio up and sing our way to our next stop, we sacrifice the chance to listen. That said, silence often makes us uncomfortable, so you can take it a step at a time:

Start with a short trip, and just turn off the radio. That’s it! Next, try turning off the radio AND putting away the devices. You might like to sit in this step for a bit, and enjoy the conversations you would’ve missed out on if everyone was distracted by their electronics. Finally, turn off the radio, put the devices away, and be silent. No chatting, no humming, no noise!

After your first silent car ride, talk about what it was like. Did anyone solve a problem they’d been stuck on? Gain some new perspective on something that happened recently? Connect with God through prayer? That’s the ultimate goal, to find God’s voice in the silence. To that end, you can explicitly guide your family to use this time for prayer, but you really don’t have to; quiet time is sacred in and of itself.

Once you make it through a few short drives in silence, you can slowly make the rides longer and see how everybody does. It will likely be easier for some family members than others, so be patient with each other. And while you can absolutely turn the radio back up after Easter, silent car rides will remain available as a tool you can return to anytime the world gets too loud.

What has silence allowed your family to hear? Share with us on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.