The Scary Place

The scary place is not the house down the street that is supposed to be haunted, or a room crowded with strangers.  It is not the deep woods, nor is it the dentist's office.  The real scary place in our world is the place filled to overflowing with silence.  Everywhere we go we find there are people who understand our fear so they pipe in music into places like elevators and turn on six blaring televisions in rooms where we must wait with others.  When we leave the noisy world for home, we turn on all kinds of noise makers until exhaustion drives us to bed.

 

Jesus may have found meaning in the silent places such as the wilderness or a mountain top, but we would rather follow Jesus into the lion's den before going to the silent places.  Yet, as we grow in our faith, we find a certain curiosity about the spiritual benefits of the silent places.  Others have gone there and found a deeper faith.  Maybe such might be true for us is what we think, but still there is this fear of what it might be like to experience the silence.

 

Would we really find the presence of God in such a scary place?  If the silence was truly overwhelming, so heavy it seems that it is dripping like water from a rain soaked tree, would we find something in that place which would truly satisfy the thirst we have for an intimate walk with God?  Why is it that we are programmed to run from the quiet places?  What would happen in our walk with God if we dared to enter into the silence with every intention to sit there and just stay?