The Sound of Silence

Scripture

“The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light.” -Romans 13:12

Thoughts

• Before creation, there was silence and darkness: God spoke (breaking the silence) and created light (breaking the darkness).
• Our sin (Total Depravity) returned us to a state of darkness and silence away from God our creator.
• In the song, darkness is called “my old friend.”
• In the song, the main character “walks alone” (apart from God).
• In the song, the main character has his darkness and silence (state of sin) broken into by the neon light. This light is like Christ being born to save us.
• After the light enters the darkness, the main character sees “10000 people maybe more” and HEARS songs and words and is no longer alone in the darkness.
• Christ brings us out of our state of sin, darkness, and silence
• Christ restores us to the light and sound of creation before sin broke our ability to exist with God our creator.
• “Silence like a cancer grows:” how often to people who feel far from God allow the darkness and silence (absence of God) to consume them?

Imagery

(Sound of Silence – Simon and Garfunkel)

Lyrics
Hello darkness, my old friend
I’ve come to talk with you again
Because a vision softly creeping
Left its seeds while I was sleeping
And the vision that was planted in my brain
Still remains
Within the sound of silence

In restless dreams I walked alone
Narrow streets of cobblestone
‘Neath the halo of a street lamp
I turned my collar to the cold and damp
When my eyes were stabbed by the flash of a neon light
That split the night
And touched the sound of silence

And in the naked light I saw
Ten thousand people, maybe more
People talking without speaking
People hearing without listening
People writing songs that voices never share
And no one dared
Disturb the sound of silence

Fools, said I, you do not know
Silence like a cancer grows
Hear my words that I might teach you
Take my arms that I might reach you
But my words, like silent raindrops fell
And echoed in the wells of silence

And the people bowed and prayed
To the neon god they made
And the sign flashed out its warning
In the words that it was forming
And the sign said, the words of the prophets are written on the subway walls
And tenement halls
And whispered in the sounds of silence

Written by Paul Simon • Copyright © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group

Photo by Henry Hustava at Unsplash.