Conversations with Silence

“Sally Longley reminds us of a forgotten truth: Words of substance are born of silence and bear fruit in silence. At a time when public discourse is beset by destructive polarizations and sheer emptiness, both inside religious traditions and in the marketplaces of our cities, Conversations with Silence says, gently but powerfully, ‘There is another way.’ It is a wise and healing book.”


—Michael Whelan, SM, author of A Friendly Guide to Prayer





“In Conversations with Silence form and content kiss each other in a text that is both richly profound and beautifully written. Who knew silence was so tonal and eloquent!”


—Robin Parry, Church of England priest and author





“Here is the literary treasure-trove about silence that we all have been waiting for, the trialogue between the Divine, the human soul, and the Rosetta Stone realm of stillness. This is a ‘stepping stone to what is beyond explanation . . . sublime wisdom.’ . . . Céad mile fáilte to a practical, informative meditation that awakens the spirit of the mystic in every reader, expertly guided by the erudite, imaginative writing of spiritual director and retreat leader, Sally Longley.”


—Nóirín Ní Riain, spiritual singer, author, and Interfaith Minister





“In Psalm 46, the Holy calls upon us to ‘desist and know that I am God.’ In her Conversations with Silence, Sally Longley offers us heartfelt ‘whys’ and wise ‘hows,’ as she guides us to do just that, to be still and intimately know. Born of reflection, scholarship, and deep experience, Sally introduces us to but some of the divine faces she’s encountered amid the textures of silence—the Sacred manifest in our personal shadows and distractions, in the fire, in the sky, in Scripture and in the presence of Grandmother God. Rooted in her lived Christianity, Longley’s grasp of the Abrahamic faiths, of Eastern and Indigenous traditions makes this a compelling read for people of all backgrounds.”


—Howard Avruhm Addison, Director, Jewish Spirituality Doctoral Programs, Graduate Theological Foundation





“Part memoir and part spiritual instruction guide, Conversations with Silence is a poetically powerful invitation to transform our lives and authenticate our relationship with God through the healing power of silence. Spiritual director and author Sally Longley understands firsthand what courage it takes it takes to stop living frantically, to listen deeply, and to surrender to the voice of God wherever one finds it—in the Australian bush, in the desert, or in one’s own backyard. She invites us to courageously do the same; to seize sacred opportunities and pauses, Selah, which can be found always and everywhere, . . . This book is a propitious gift to the world, and one that is sorely needed during these times of cacophonous disconnection and despair. It is a hopeful book, and I am supremely grateful for it.”


—Janice L. Lundy, co-founder, The Spiritual Guidance Training Institute, Chicago