Silence

It is quiet on the water this morning (Friday, Feb 5).  We spent last evening at the west end of Tortola in an anchorage known as Soper’s Hole.  I recently learned that a settlement was established in this area in the early 1600’s by a Dutch privateer named Joost van Dyk  (another island in the BVI is named Jost van Dyke).  Anyway, old Joost was trading with Spanish settlers in Puerto Rico in violation of a Papal concession to the Spaniards.  By 1615, Spanish records indicate that Soper’s Hole was being populated by Dutch, French and English pirates.  It is a well protected anchorage.  To the north and the south are tall hills.  To the east is a low isthmus of land connecting the hills which also allows for good winds to bless this bay.  With the winds mostly coming from the east, it would have been easy to set sail in the harbor and head west.  The pirates would place lookouts on the hills who would signal when a Spanish galleon was nearing.  I can close my eyes and imagine the raiding warships raising sails and slowly heading out to engage a treasure laden vessel.

It is quiet this morning, after a good healthy rain last night.  The weather at this time of the year brings a bit of rain most nights.  As long as we remember to close the hatches (and by now, we’re mostly remembering to do so), the rain gives Azure Wind a good rinse.  The salt spray residue from yesterday’s vigorous sail was substantial  We were up to 8+ knots of speed in 20+ knots of wind heading west on the north (Atlantic Ocean) side of Tortola.  So, the rain was a nice gift.  And now, it is quiet.

I thinking about the birthing of planet Earth and the role silence played.  The gestation and then the emerging of a subsequent maturing earth, it seems to me, has happened mostly in the silence.  We are told that the actual birth was disruptive, perhaps quite noisy.  But the calm before that moment and the millions of years of developing after that moment surely happened in ways that would be like this morning.  In fact, in this morning’s silence, I think God’s evolving of the earth is still happening, under the waters, under the land.

We humans are so noisy.  We make noise in our industrial “births”, and we surely make noise in our labor pains and our “kidney stone births”.  We make noise in our arguments and political fights.  We make noise in our sporting events and our concerts.  Sometimes we like to make noise as a pretention of power.  The marina where we base Azure Wind is next to a public boat ramp where at least three nights each week, very large cigarette boats are launched.  A cigarette (the name I learned years ago) is a long, low riding, high speed power boat.  It uses souped up engines and NO MUFFLERS.  Most of these boats sputter each evening and then, suddenly erupt in the loudest noise possible.  They out-noise the big ferry boats, they take off and create roll in the waters, and it is a consistently obnoxious experience. 

The other day I saw my new friend, Wendell (a “belonger” – life long BVI resident )– who laughed when I asked him if they ever have races.  He told me that every now and then they schedule a race and talk a lot before the race…but they never actually race their boats – no one wants to lose; they simply want to make noise.  Did I mention there are NO MUFFLERS? 

As Elijah experienced, God is in the silence as well as in the noise of thunder and lightning and all.  As I think about Lent approaching,  it might be good to listen for the silent presence of a God who creates, redeems and sustains this life each day.  A bit of quiet.  A bit of wondering…and  a lot of gratitude.

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On another note:  The British Virgin Islands is nominally British, with a strong European presence.  Many islanders from throughout the region migrate here for work.  Many sailors from all over North America and Europe visit here.    So it’s no surprise that there’s a good bit of humor about the various nationalities.  My favorite, so far, is posted on the wall of an outdoor Italian restaurant:

HEAVEN IS WHERE THE POLICE ARE BRITISH, THE CHEFS ITALIAN, THE MECHANICS GERMAN, THE LOVERS FRENCH AND IT IS ALL ORGANIZED BY THE SWISS

HELL IS WHERE THE POLICE ARE GERMAN, THE CHEFS BRITISH, THE MECHANICS FRENCH, THE LOVERS SWISS, AND IT IS ALL ORGANIZED BY THE ITALIANS

Have a great day!