When I arrived earlier than normal to school in my teaching years, I felt like I had time to converse before the first bell signaled the beginning of another hectic day. Scanning the hallways, I discovered a place of silence. Walking back to the teacher’s lounge, the students present were tuned out, listening to music with ear buds on, preventing any chances for a meaningful conversation.
Modern parents have been convinced by government agencies that spanking is wrong. Thus, fear has been replaced with the silent treatment. Unfortunately, sending kids to time out isn’t always punishment. While the social may feel like they have been sent to solitary confinement, quiet children enjoy the place of silence.
Psalm 115:7 introduces the Bible’s readers to a new concept of hell, the place of silence. This imagery brings a new perspective of hell, combining loneliness with time out. When your time on earth runs out, there only 2 possible destinations, heaven or hell. Either you will find a destination where your cries for help go unheard. Or you will enter a place where your tears will be wiped away. Take the advice of Moses by choosing life today, Deuteronomy 30:15-17.
by Jay Mankus