If you read yesterday’s post, you know that I recently watched the film Into Great Silence, but was not too successful in my viewing of it.

Here is the trailer just in case you missed it yesterday.

Today I am going to address the two questions I left when finishing the last post.

Why was it so difficult to sit still and observe the monks of the Carthusian Monastery?

I think the answer to this question is simple and obvious, and my guess is that many of you will identify.  It was difficult to sit through this film because I have difficulty with the discipline of “SLOWING”.  It doesn’t matter who you are or what you do, patience is a task that is usually required in your life.  For me, the past year has taught me many lessons about patience.  (In fact,  a few months ago, I wrote another post visiting this topic.)  I am thankful for these lessons, but nevertheless, I still struggle waiting on a red light, or wanting my last hour at work to finish in warp speed.    I want my food fast,  and my internet hi-speed.  I can give you the cliché answer saying that society shapes our worldview, leading us to oftentimes neglect patience and long for expedience.  But, the bottom line is that I became really excited when I found an iPhone app where I could order prescription medicine from my phone without having to take the time to call the pharmacy.  Do you identify with me?

So did I completely miss the beauty of this documentary?

Fortunately, the answer to this is NO.  While I had many instances of distraction in this  film.  I did have several moments of profound observation.  Watching this film, I was struck by the natural beauty the monks had surrounding them: the untrampled snow, the soft natural light that filled each room of the monastery, the quiet content of the faces of the monks, slowly and patiently performing each day’s tasks.

One of my favorite things I enjoyed was the way the silence of the documentary allowed me to reflect on each sound happening in each scene:  the movement of feet, the air moving outside, the resonance of the bells and echoes of the monk’s chants.  These are things I would usually overlook in my busybody day.

So, in summary, in the midst of distraction, I believe this film reminded me of something very important:  Patience, the act of waiting, the process of slowing down, can actually be a wonderful experience filled with quiet grace.  I was reminded to not just to enjoy the notes of a song, but to enjoy the space between each note.

As a creative, how can we use the act of slowness and patience to our advantage.  How can we use the space between notes to convey truth and beauty?