iCrucified

Silence, Solitude, and Alphas

If you’ve been following icruciblog for any amount of time in the recent months, you’ll know that I’ve recently returned from an extended stay at a Benedictine Monastery. Actually, it’s been almost two weeks now since I’ve returned, and while I’m still trying to adjust to my “home” schedule there are certain things I notice more since I’ve returned. One of those things is “noise” and the other is how easily my focus can be derailed by the slightest distractions.

What I’m about to say may not make a lot of sense if you’re not familiar with the show, but when I returned from my month in Pecos, I found my family engrossed in a new TV series on the Syfy network called Alphas. The premise of the show is sort of reminiscent of the X-Men… seemingly “normal” people developing “supernormal” abilities.  One of the characters, Gary, has a very unique “power.” Gary is sensitive to many environmental factors within his surroundings. He is something of a “human antennae” and able to “read” an almost endless range of electromagnetic frequencies out of thin air. What this means, is that Gary’s alpha ability enables him to “see” and decode  TV, radio, cell phone signals, and more without any need for the devices we use…Gary does it with his brain. There are drawbacks though. These signals are endlessly bombarded at Gary and he has no way of shutting them off, so they can be a bit overwhelming at times and the result can be irritability, distraction, and the inability to focus.

When I sat down to watch this new show and I was introduced to the character of Gary, I thought about the similarities to his power and the Christian life. My first thought was the idea that we are all alphas. We are children of The Alpha and Omega which make us, each and every one, little alphas. Since we are alphas we all have supernatural senses and abilities. The Bible teaches us that we have the ability to hear God’s voice (John 10:27), know God’s will (Romans 12:2), understand the secrets of heaven (Luke 8:10), become a dwelling place of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 3:16), have faith that moves mountains (Matthew 17:20), and even have the very mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16). Now, those are some special abilities! However, just like in the TV show and with Gary, there are drawbacks.

The Apostle Paul reminds us that we wrestle with powers and principalities in the heavenly realms. Some of those wrestling matches come in the form of distractions and end with our inability to focus. Just like Gary might be distracted to the point of being unable to focus by the incessant humming of a microwave tower, the “noises” and distractions in our day also compete for our attention when we are trying to focus on the Voice, guidance, and will of God in our daily journey. How do we combat these distractions? While our TV “Alpha” (Gary) might not be able to escape the droning hum of the microwave tower, we do have the ability to control our schedules and our portions of our day. It is important that we develop the uncompromising discipline of making a space in our day or night for a time of silence and solitude. When we create this sacred space, we give homage to our Creator, ALPHA and OMEGA, Jesus, who wants to speak to us.

 It is not as easy to make this sacred space as it is to talk about it, but if we do not…we will be overrun with the droning hums and noises that so easily distract us. While our God is capable of yelling and screaming to get our attention, this is not the preferred way that He would like to communicate with us. The Bible teaches us that God loves our company in quiet walks (Genesis 5:24), mountainside silence (1 Kings 19:11-13), in the secret and quiet places (Matthew 6:6), and we have numerous other examples where God “speaks” to His alpha-children in quiet solitary places; there is Jacob at Bethel, Moses at the burning bush, Gideon in the thresher, Peter on the rooftop, John alone on Patmos, and Jesus who went away often to a solitary, quiet place to hear from the Father God (Mark 1:35). If Jesus, Alpha and Omega-Son of God, needed the quiet, solitary space for effective conversation with God, how much more do we as younger sibling alphas need this quiet space? I say a lot.

So then, fellow alphas, be wary of the noises and hums that would distract you… Know that you are not only capable of hearing the Voice of God, but you were created for intimate fellowship with Him; this means hearing Him each and every day all through the day. If it’s been a while since you’ve heard His voice, why not make it a date to carve out a quiet space even today… silence the hums and hear His Voice.