"Hello darkness, my old friend, I’ve come to talk with you again."How would you describe your relationship with silence and solitude?//Hello darkness, my old friendI've come to talk with you againBecause a vision softly creepingLeft its seeds while I was sleepingAnd the vision that was planted in my brainStill remainsWithin the sound of silenceIn restless dreams I walked aloneNarrow streets of cobblestone'Neath the halo of a street lampI turned my collar to the cold and dampWhen my eyes were stabbed By the flash of a neon lightThat split the nightAnd touched the sound of silenceAnd in the naked light I sawTen thousand people, maybe morePeople talking without speakingPeople hearing without listeningPeople writing songs that voices never shareAnd no one daredDisturb the sound of silence"Fools," said I, "You do not knowSilence, like a cancer, growsHear my words that I might teach youTake my arms that I might reach you"But my words, like silent raindrops fellAnd echoed in the wells, of silenceAnd the people bowed and prayedTo the neon god they madeAnd the sign flashed out its warningIn the words that it was formingAnd the sign said, "The words of the prophets Are written on the subway wallsAnd tenement halls"And whispered in the sounds of silence//The reflection at the beginning of this episode was written and recorded by Ben Grace. Ben recorded the cover but he didn’t write the song, but you probably knew that already. This episode was produced by Rev. Jim Keat. Background tracks include Button Mushrooms by Podington Bear.The Sound of Silence was written by Paul Simon in 1963-64 and recorded by Simon & Garfunkel in March 1964 at Columbia Studios in New York City for inclusion on their debut album, Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M.. Ironically, the album was a commercial failure and led to the group disbanding but after the song hit No. 1 on January 1, 1966 the iconic duo reunited and recorded their second album, Sounds of Silence.Visit www.trcnyc.org/BeStillAndGo to listen to more episodes from all five seasons of Be Still and Go.Visit www.trcnyc.org/Donate to support this podcast and other digital resources from The Riverside Church that integrate spirituality and social justice.Ben Grace is an Australian singer/songwriter. You can find his music on Spotify and Soundcloud and Apple Music and all the places you would expect. And you can find out more about Ben on his website at www.BenGraceMusic.com.This season of Be Still and Go is supported in part by Convergence as they help share each episode with their community. (You should do the same!) Convergence a network that supports the reshaping of organizations, congregations and leaders engaged in an age of movement from “organized religion” to “organizing religion” driven by the values of an inclusive, progressive theological vision for a more just world for all. Visit www.convergenceus.org to find out more.