John Ellis – Beyond The Noise

CCM: For those who struggle to enter into the silence, do you have any personal encouragement or lessons for how to begin to tune out the noise?
JE: That’s so tricky. I’m absolutely terrified of speaking with any kind of ‘authority’ on these issues. I am at the front end of a very long narrow journey. For me, the evangelical approach ran out of road distressingly quickly, and from a new vantage point I can understand why, but my journey has been away from ‘Christianity’ and towards ‘Christ,’ and there is an ever-widening gulf between those two.

These things are only observable from a place of stillness, quiet, silence, solitude—the very things Jesus so often went out into ‘lonely places’ to seek. These things are absolutely antithetical to the broad Western approach to a spiritual life. Every person of faith can be led to those places too, but their journey is of necessity unique to them. I would encourage people of faith to actively seek the contemplative life, but I don’t have the map to get there. I guess you could start by turning the music in your car off and driving around in silence! I did that a few years ago. It’s a simple but life-changing habit to try and form!

CCM: Matt Redman is featured on a few tracks as a co-writer on Growing Silent. How far back does that friendship go?
JE: I met Matt in 1997. I can’t really express how much his friendship meant to me. It’s significant, let’s put it that way. And that’s got nothing at all to do with music.

photo: Joanne Olivier

CCM: What do you like specifically about writing with Matt so much?
JE: Matt is one of the very few people writing and recording songs for God with an actual heart for God. I know that’s a potentially controversial thing for me to say, but I’ve always trusted Matt, and I still do. I know his story, I know he has been genuinely touched by God and his heart is set. In an industry where ‘Jesus’ is so very often a product we sell each other, Matt is a pilgrim and writing with him was a wonderful opportunity. He’s an encyclopedia of hymnody; it’s quite astounding.

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