Summary: How do we encounter silence in our teen years? Alone, or with others? In the woods, or at a church? With a sense of ecstasy, or perhaps even a healthy dose of "adolescent angst"?<br> <br> In this episode we continue the conversation about "meeting" silence in the days of our youth, this week focusing on our adolescence. Like in the previous episode, such encounters carry a variety of meanings and invitations into deeper reflection, including:<br> <br> The relationship between silence, nature, solitude, and spirit (Spirit);<br> How silence can emerge out of even a noisy time in one's life;<br> How silence transcends religion and spirituality to be a universal gift;<br> How silence can meet us even in unintended ways and settings;<br> The surprising way silence comes to us in mystical ways — and how even the most exalted mystical "experience" seems to carry its own challenges or difficulties;<br> Pondering the relationship between silence and questions.<br> <br> I was immediately filled with questions, and I was immediately filled with, 'Why? What did I just do? Why did I do it?' and looking back upon that, to me, that was God in that experience — the questions; because I've always been a curious person, because God was in that mystery and the silence and the loneliness of that moment. — Cassidy Hall<br> Some of the resources and authors we mention in this episode:<br> <br> Augustine, The Confessions of Saint Augustine<br> Carl McColman, The Aspiring Mystic: Practical Steps for Spiritual Seekers<br> <br> Some of the albums Carl loved as a teenager include:<br> <br> Elton John, Greatest Hits<br> Emerson Lake & Palmer, Self-Titled<br> Genesis, Foxtrot<br> Renaissance, Ashes Are Burning<br> Yes, Tales From Topographic Oceans<br> <br> And while we didn't mention them in this episode, our favorite monastic author and favorite documentary on silence always deserve a shout out:<br> <br> Thomas Merton, Dialogues with Silence<br> Patrick Shen (director), In Pursuit of Silence<br> <br> It's beyond words, there's no way to describe this, but it really did make me feel that the world was a lot weirder than I thought it was, for the very first time, and I realized that my categories didn't make sense... — Kevin Johnson<br> <br> <br> Kevin Johnson is a university professor, writer, speaker, and retreat leader based in Connecticut.<br> <br> Cassidy Hall is a writer, photographer, and filmmaker based in Los Angeles.<br> <br> Carl McColman is an author, catechist, and retreat leader based in Atlanta.<br> <br> <br> <br> Episode 2: Encountering Silence In Adolescence<br> Hosted by: Kevin Johnson<br> With: Cassidy Hall and Carl McColman<br> Date Recorded: October 10, 2017
