The Taizé service at my church has moved from the chapel to the bell tower. Bell tower is the poetic way of putting it. It also feels like a lobby. But when you sit in one of the folding chairs and look up, the view goes on forever and our voices rise swiftly through that column of air.

Taizé is sung prayer, chanted prayer and silence. Usually, the silent period seems to last forever. But last night, it didn’t last long enough. Was it simply a shorter silent period, or is my silence tolerance improving?

“All profound things and emotions of things are preceded and attended by silence,” said Herman Melville. “Silence is the general consecration of the universe.”

Lofty words. Powerful words. All I know is that for me, last night, silence was sweet.