Stations of Stillness

“Thus says the LORD to you: ‘Do not fear or be dismayed at this great multitude; for the battle is not yours but God’s’.” ~2 Chronicles 20:15b (NRSV).

Each day we pass them; the stations of stillness.

Whether we comply with their helping demands is the question.

Stillness is not some Treasure Island experience; it’s here, amongst us, every moment of every day, even in the hustle and bustle.

Stillness is an inside job — to decide for it.

If we’re given to stress, then we need stillness — the countermeasure. Why, therefore, do we not obey our own compelling needs?

Physical Stations

Being Australian, I decided to overlay the stations of the Southern Cross over my city, as a means of marking my own sacred ground in the name of the Lord.

These positions were chosen to form a set of sanctuaries — my ‘stations of the cross’ — for which to regularly visit for God-revealing Sabbath rest.

These stations, where I can choose to be still, are mine and mine alone. Nobody in the whole world will have chosen these stations at the times in which I will occupy them.

This is the freedom that God gives all of us; to choose our own flavour of stillness by location in this physical world.

These physical stations are a reminder of the battle won by the Lord — to give us these places.

Metaphysical Stations

From the physical to the not-so-physical, we come. This is even more private, and more unique, to us. Theoretical stillness is designed in the mind’s eye as God reveals it to us.

This sort of stillness is an invention test for us. God gives us the divine mind — again, if we choose for it — and the tools of innovation; then it’s up to us.

This can seem awkward and abstract, but only as we limit ourselves to a knowledge apart from ourselves. In other words, confusion reigns only when we’re least in touch with what our truer self actually needs.

God has graced us, mostly, with minds able to align with divine purpose; in this case, stillness.

Spiritual Stations

These stations are stations of the mind and heart.

They are both, separately, manifest by either choice or by the status of our prevailing equilibrium — that is, the level of faith, hope and love that’s present within our monetary personas.

A spiritual station of stillness is the quieted soul, anywhere. Here we have the ability to feel still disregarding the physical place or situational circumstance we find ourselves in.

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The relevance of the 2 Chronicles passage, abovementioned, is that stillness is possible even in battle, as we trust God within trauma. Whether by physical, metaphysical or spiritual circumstance, we have a station of stillness to ward away the fear of battle, and the impending din of distress, so we’ll actually achieve soul stillness.

© 2011 S. J. Wickham.

Graphic Credit: Gini Grey.