Silence (Molchanie) and Unity (Sobernost)

I've come across this passage in Molchanie (The Silence of God) by Catherine de Hueck Doherty. Doherty worked with the poor in Harlem and Toronto, then set up a servant community in mid-Ontario. Thomas Merton (The Seven Story Mountain), monk and contemplative writer, heard Doherty lecture, and was facinated and challenged by her intimate faith in God, which turned her to service to the poor. Now the passage...

You wish to experience this kind of silence? Go into the alleyways of the world. Look at the garbage pails and see the old ladies rummaging through them, and the children collecting what you have thrown away. The poor go about this task in silence, a despairing silence, crying silently to God. People have closed their hearts to these poor. So some day, when you have nothing to do, walk through the garbage alleys of the world. Then you will know the silence of the Devil. And in that silence two thoughts will emerge: “Will I share more with the poor?” and “To hell with the poor!” What effect will this silence have on you?
Silence can lead us to God, and that is why the Evil One constantly tries to interfere with it. Take, for instance, the silence of indifference.

I appreciate that she is honest enough to say that we don't always have pure responses, and sometimes we're tempted to walk away from the things the bother us. It's important how we respond at this decision point.

Another quote, this time from Sobernost (Unity):

The only way to show the reality of Christ is to become an icon of Christ, a reflection of his face. And the reflection of his face will make us not only pray but serve. The two go together. For those who follow Christ, there is no service without prayer, and no prayer without service. They pray always, and they serve always.
So we have to enter the world – not the world that God condemned as evil – but the world he created … the beautiful world. And we have to restore it.
...
To serve mankind, to restore mankind to what was in the mind of God when he created it: this is our task! For this have we been baptized. Remember! We have died with Christ and have been resurrected with him. And if we listen carefully, the Gospel will shout at us clearly and simply, and we will have to do what it says.

Note her devotion to God, which leads her to serve Him by serving those He created and loves.
We've had several people mention that it would be a real stretch to walk downtown with us. I understand that. One alternative would be take some time and walk downtown, and simply pray for the people you see. God is sovereign, and will work in your heart uniquely. Go with someone, and take some time afterwards to talk about it. Let us know what you learn.
Blessings