VERSION|0.5.1|SUBJECT|Rev Dr Giles Fraser - Grumpy Ex-Canon Chancellor of St Paul's Cathedral   |CONTENT|[b]Rating[/b] 3 out of 5 (Fairly platitudinous)

[url=http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap130111.html][img=images/2013/01/pic130111.jpg popup=false float=right][/url]Silence. What wouldn't we all give for a couple of minutes of silence about now? Silence is really, really, important. It's so important that I simply have to tell you all about it.

The Church used to like silence, then it became suspicious of it. The sound of people not noisily agreeing with it was regarded as subversive.

Silence can mean many things. To a Trident submarine commander, the absence of the Today Programme indicates that they should [url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/keyfacts/stories/today_programme.shtml]fire their missiles[/url]. Some may wonder if nuclear Armageddon isn't a bit over the top as the price of some silence during Thought for the Day. At any rate, the Today Programme producers should be encouraged to deliver their programme promptly and audibly for the prevention of any mistakes.

A certain [url=http://hereisthecity.com/2013/01/10/no-logo-no-noise/]well known department store[/url] is introducing a quiet area. As a natural born sceptic I'm suspicious of such evil innovations. Allowing people to rest, to relax, to unwind isn't in the Christian tradition. They should be actively seeking to change the world! They shouldn't have time to sit around with their feet up.

Prayer, that's an acceptable form of silence. However, you mustn't spend you're time in prayer telling the Invisible Magic Friend things. The Invisible Magic Friend already knows everything so it's just silly to sit there telling him things he already knows. No, if you sit long enough and silently enough, eventually you'll hear the voice of the Invisible Magic Friend talking back to you. That's what I do and it hasn't done me any harm.

And that's the Sound of Silence.

[url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p013mvn3]Listen/Read[/url]|CATEGORIES|37|IP-ADDRESS|94.168.119.214|DATE|1357893057|CREATEDBY|admin
