Voices
from Silence
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Personal stories of engaging in silence by practitioners from the Global Majority Heritage (GMH) or Black and Indigenous Peoples of Colour (BIPOC) communities.* |
A quarter of the way into the new millennium the reality for many people from this community is that their lives and stories are sidelined. Their voices are silenced.
Although many people from GMH/ BIPOC communities have a spiritual practice of silence, authors from these communities have tended to write more about their experiences of silencing than of their engagement with silence-based prayer.
This new series is a way to bring some voices from the GMH/ BIPOC communities into the conversations and resources about silence on the Seeds of Silence website.
Although many people from GMH/ BIPOC communities have a spiritual practice of silence, authors from these communities have tended to write more about their experiences of silencing than of their engagement with silence-based prayer.
This new series is a way to bring some voices from the GMH/ BIPOC communities into the conversations and resources about silence on the Seeds of Silence website.
October 2025: Susan Gopeesingh
'Begin with Silence'
Image: Monika Maeckle, Texas Butterfly Ranch
Susan Gopeesingh,
Trinidad |
Listen to Susan reading her text,
'Begin with Silence' |
Begin with Silence ...
I heard a voice saying, ‘Ask me anything’.
I paused …
‘I do not know what to ask you’.
The Voice said, ’Begin with Silence’.
I heard a voice saying, ‘Ask me anything’.
I paused …
‘I do not know what to ask you’.
The Voice said, ’Begin with Silence’.
‘Begin with Silence’ was my invitation into silence and solitude. One year later, I joined the Transforming Community which required me to travel every quarter to Chicago for two years. This was a deeper dive and the beginning of my transformational journey.
The practice of silence and solitude made me more aware of myself. It was both an awakening and a purging as it revealed the false structures within me. In times past, I was ignorant of my false patterns which I had internalized. However, during my times of silence and solitude, I began to experience God in new ways. These encounters marked my soul, causing me to be more intentional in my daily practice.
The things I have learnt through daily incorporating silence and solitude is that it’s both worth it and life changing, even though during various seasons I wanted to give up. Being patient, sitting still and silent was not easy and facing myself was difficult especially when things surfaced that I was not aware of. There were times of shifting within me, when God was rearranging my internal landscape. I realized that there were things in my life that I needed to relinquish as they no longer served their purpose for the journey ahead.
My desire was to be who God created me to be. In the process of silence and solitude false structures began to be dismantled, while a deeper trust in God's ability to finish the work began to take root. Silence and solitude had awakened me and I had begun to notice things about myself, for example, trying to control situations, fixing outcomes, seeking approval, and false attachments. I also became aware that my inner landscape affected me somatically: I noticed tightening in my facial muscles. I began to see myself for better or for worse in those moments of silence. Additionally, I recognized when my ego wanted to take control. I am now pausing and choosing to respond gently and lovingly. Thank God with the help of the Holy Spirit, I am being transformed—not only for my sake but for the sake of others.
As a result of my journey into silence and solitude there was a deep desire within me to find a community in Trinidad where I could grow and build relationship. I am now a member of the World Community for Christian Meditation (WCCM). I have also joined a community to practice Christian Meditation - the pure prayer of the heart. It is a daily practice both morning and evening: the mantra ‘Maranatha’ leads me into Silence, Stillness and Attention. My journey has prepared me to share and meditate with migrant women at our Women Prison Facility.
The Voice said ‘Begin with Silence’.
Psalm 62:1 ‘My soul waits in silence for God only … ’
The practice of silence and solitude made me more aware of myself. It was both an awakening and a purging as it revealed the false structures within me. In times past, I was ignorant of my false patterns which I had internalized. However, during my times of silence and solitude, I began to experience God in new ways. These encounters marked my soul, causing me to be more intentional in my daily practice.
The things I have learnt through daily incorporating silence and solitude is that it’s both worth it and life changing, even though during various seasons I wanted to give up. Being patient, sitting still and silent was not easy and facing myself was difficult especially when things surfaced that I was not aware of. There were times of shifting within me, when God was rearranging my internal landscape. I realized that there were things in my life that I needed to relinquish as they no longer served their purpose for the journey ahead.
My desire was to be who God created me to be. In the process of silence and solitude false structures began to be dismantled, while a deeper trust in God's ability to finish the work began to take root. Silence and solitude had awakened me and I had begun to notice things about myself, for example, trying to control situations, fixing outcomes, seeking approval, and false attachments. I also became aware that my inner landscape affected me somatically: I noticed tightening in my facial muscles. I began to see myself for better or for worse in those moments of silence. Additionally, I recognized when my ego wanted to take control. I am now pausing and choosing to respond gently and lovingly. Thank God with the help of the Holy Spirit, I am being transformed—not only for my sake but for the sake of others.
As a result of my journey into silence and solitude there was a deep desire within me to find a community in Trinidad where I could grow and build relationship. I am now a member of the World Community for Christian Meditation (WCCM). I have also joined a community to practice Christian Meditation - the pure prayer of the heart. It is a daily practice both morning and evening: the mantra ‘Maranatha’ leads me into Silence, Stillness and Attention. My journey has prepared me to share and meditate with migrant women at our Women Prison Facility.
The Voice said ‘Begin with Silence’.
Psalm 62:1 ‘My soul waits in silence for God only … ’
Susan Gopeesingh, October, 2025.
Susan Gopeesingh leads meditation once a week at the WCCM Caribbean Centre for meditation. See here.
She is also part of a team who has a vision for 'Empowering Migrant Women'. It is a project that is rooted in the belief that 'meditation and contemplation must lead to action'. An eight-week programme was designed and facilitated for ten Venezuelan asylum-seeking women, considered 'at-risk', who were navigating vulnerable circumstances. The programme takes place twice a year and sought to support participants holistically—spiritually, emotionally, and practically. Susan facilitates meditation with the migrant women at the Women Prison facility.
For more about WCCM's global programme, see here.
She is also part of a team who has a vision for 'Empowering Migrant Women'. It is a project that is rooted in the belief that 'meditation and contemplation must lead to action'. An eight-week programme was designed and facilitated for ten Venezuelan asylum-seeking women, considered 'at-risk', who were navigating vulnerable circumstances. The programme takes place twice a year and sought to support participants holistically—spiritually, emotionally, and practically. Susan facilitates meditation with the migrant women at the Women Prison facility.
For more about WCCM's global programme, see here.
* The terms 'Global Majority Heritage' (GMH) and 'Black and Indigenous Peoples of Colour' (BIPOC) refers to people whose backgrounds are from non-Western, non-White ethnic and cultural groups, reflecting the fact that the majority of the world’s population comes from Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East. These terms acknowledge the rich heritage of ancient Indigenous communities and challenge the traditional framing of racial and ethnic minorities by emphasizing that these populations are, in fact, the global majority.
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