Silent retreats are a wonderful way to challenge a group together to path silence can take them individually. Time set aside is always a great way to reflect and think about God's plan for your life. It is a way to listen to the world around us.
So often we get caught up in our own realities and not pay any attention to those outside our world. Having the ability to see how we all depend on one another is truly a gift. This is one ability I think is missing in American culture. We tend to judge individual "success" from the perspective on the individual and not realize how many people played a role in that success.
Doing a silent retreat as a group is an interesting experience. Several people in the same space but avoiding eye contact. No one can complain about someone else leaving the mayonaise out of the fridge. No one can compliment each other on being silent so well. Each are left to thinking and doing alone. The folks that like to keep busy, find something to do, clean, create. The folks that like to relax, just nothing more. Often participants produce incredible pieces of art.
Service learning mission trips rely heavily upon reflection and interaction, but a silent retreat amidst the hustle and bustle of the city is just as profound. To remove yourself to listen and pray in the middle of the activity is a skill we need daily. When I think of a silent retreat in a city, I see an opportunity for me to listen to God and observe the ways in which 9 million people make the city of Chicago a wonderful place.
