Although it broadcast in 2010 we have recently discovered the excellent and thought-provoking BBC Two miniseries The Big Silence, Worth Abbey Abbot Christopher Jamison’s latest foray into helping laypeople from various backgrounds (professional and spiritual) incorporate monastic principles (silence, specifically) into their lives. Jamison’s previous BBC project, The Monastery, centered on similar topics. However, The Monastery focused on an extended retreat. Conversely, The Big Silence presents an even more realistic look at the challenges and struggles people face when first attempting a noiseless (or at least, less noisy) life as they practice silence in a monastery, then independently at home – with varying degrees of success – and finally at a retreat center with the aid of a spiritual director.
The Abbot’s work is somewhat different than ours, of course, since he approaches it from an exclusively spiritual context. But at the same time, we cannot help but draw some parallels. The retreatants’ struggles are the same struggles articulated by our first Contemplative Leadership Academy’s participants:
How can I find time for silence when I can barely find enough time in the day to do my job?
What if people think I’m crazy – or even worse, lazy – if they see me sitting in my office or classroom with the lights off and my eyes closed?
What if I try … and fail?
Valid concerns, to be sure. So what’s encouraging about this? Their joys are the same, too, after ultimately successfully experiencing silence’s rejuvenating effects.
A growing body of literature encourages the use of silence and other mindfulness principles to more effectively lead organizations and schools. We support this view, of course, and are advancing plans to resurrect our Contemplative Leadership Academy in a virtual format this fall. For more information about how you and your colleagues can participate free of charge, watch this site for more details or email Tom and Gary at [email protected].
(Click here for more information about ordering The Big Silence and accompanying study materials.)
