Turning up the Volume on God
Scripture:
"If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, then I have become only a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal [just an annoying distraction]."
1 Corinthians 13:1
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I’m taking a little bit different spin on this scripture. Let’s focus in on the “gongs and clanging cymbals.”
We have so many “gongs and clanging cymbals” constantly sounding around us and residing in us. Many are obvious. Some are not. However, they all distract us away from God.
Seven years ago, I took a three week summer trip to France. Of all the unique experiences, I was most surprised by the lack of noise (the exception being Paris, which is a brimming cacophony of city sounds). I had not been aware of “noise pollution” until I came back home from my trip. In France, I had grown accustomed to the blanket of noiselessness — no cars, no airplanes, no machinery, and surprisingly, very little ‘background’ music or televisions.
Once home, I felt a sudden awareness of the persistent sounds pressing on and around me! Airplanes, mowers, leaf blowers, dogs barking, TVs and of course, media, media, media…..Oh the gongs and clanging cymbals!
What I discovered was that all the external and internal noises that we grow accustomed to, are unnatural and they wear on us. Noise pollution is real. Most importantly, it is difficult to find and hear God when there’s so much ungodly noise competing for our attention!
Not only are there gongs and clanging cymbals externally, but we have our own chaotic symphony of noises within us. This is probably our greatest battle - to quiet the noises within.
Science has proven that a still, calm mind creates coherent brain waves whereas a busy mind, full of internal “noise” creates incoherent brain waves. Coherent brain waves provies an environment of healing in our body by calming the autonomic nervous system. Under these conditions, we generate higher proteins, up-regulating our genes for repair.
Incoherent brain waves only perpetuates more incoherency and promotes down-graded proteins. With incoherent brain waves, we stay in the flight-or-fight, survival mode. Our body is too busy surviving to be able to perform full repairs.
No wonder we end up in dis-ease!
Incoherent brainwaves = feelings of lack, separation, anxiety, urgency for more, seeking, business, depression, distraction..and the list goes on and on.
Coherent brainwaves = openness = stillness = connection = God’s voice = divine presence = LOVE (the highest of energies)= healing
Through Tai Chi, we silence (or at least quiet down) those gongs and cymbals, both externally and internally. It is here that we can create a place of sincerity, of purity; of quietness and connection. It is in the place of stillness that we can truly HEAR! We can create and feel the highest of energy - love. And in this place of quietness, perhaps we can even let go and learn to love others, and especially, ourselves a bit more.
When we silence the cacophony around us and in us, we can then feel God’s love flowing through us. We can feel His presence in us (Te; or Holy Spirit). Perhaps this is a form of hearing. Hearing the truth.
If we find ourselves tuning into the noises around us and turning up the volume on misplaced “passions” or distractions; or allowing the external world to trigger our internal responses (anger, anxiety, feeling lack), then perhaps we should recognize it as a sign. A sign for us to become aware of our own personal gongs and cymbals. To redirect our energy and attention.
Once we recognize it, then we can simply STOP, take a breath, find our place in Tai Chi or Qigong or meditation, and at least…even if for a few moments a day, turn down the volume on all those gongs and cymbals in our life.
Let us turn down the volume on the distracting noises, and turn UP the volume on GOD!
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From Way of God:
For a moment, let’s pretend God’s energy is like sound. Sound can take on many different purposes and forms. We enjoy some sounds and dislike other sounds. Sound can be pleasant to us, like a symphony, or noisy like a jackhammer.
With such a wide range of sounds, only a very narrow range of sound falls into the category of what we accept as great music. Outside that range is what we might think of as bad music. Further outside that range is what we label “noise.” Even further out of that range is harmful damaging noise like a firecracker exploding next to your ear or a jet engine at take-off. All of these come from the same energy called sound. The question of whether it is good or bad sound relies on what effect it has on us.
Like light or sound, spiritual energy that is nourishing and harmonious to us fits within a range of what we call “good energy”. Good energy is wonderful to us, just like good music. Any energy outside of that range is noisy, polluting or disrupting to us — meaning “bad energy.”
……. if you can surround yourself with good energy that helps straighten your direction and point you back toward God, you can travel closer to the Center.
Liao, Waysun. Tao: The Way of God (pp. 66-69). Taichi Tao Productions. Kindle Edition.
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Prayer:
Help me to recognize the gongs and clanging cymbals in my life
Allow me to quiet them so I may connect with YOU
In a meaningful, hearing way.
Amen
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Movement:
Qi Cleansing head to toe -
Gather Qi, then move your hands from the head down to the Dan Tian, then dispense the heavy Qi out and away from your body into infinity, arms 45 degrees in front of hips, hands down toward earth. Repeat as needed.
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