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Silence and Spiritual Walk: Self-Examination Jenn Granneman, author of The Secret Lives of Introverts, described “12 things introverts absolutely need to be happy.” One is “comfortable silences”—friends they can be with without talking. Another is “a quiet, calm space that’s all theirs,” as well as “time and space to work uninterrupted.”...

Silence and Spiritual Walk: Silence, Fear, and Faith Pastor Martin Niemöller spent seven years in Nazi concentration camps. At the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C., his words are on display: “First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Socialist. Then they came for the Trade Unionists,...

Silence and the Gospel: Silence in Heaven Singer-songwriter Sandra McCracken believes that “Our Silence Is Music to God’s Ears,” the title of a recent article in Christianity Today. “When I’m quiet,” she admits, “things float up to the surface from the shadow places in my heart that I haven’t wanted to deal with. But after a time, I can tune...

Dante’s classic Inferno describes idol worshipers inhabiting the sixth circle of hell, its capital. Their souls are either in fiery tombs or nailed to flaming, inverted crosses. The terror these idolatrous souls have earned is great.

Isaiah 5 presents another song of justice, only this time the singer is the Lord Himself. The lyrics sing of His failure to find the fruit for which He has labored in the fertile soil of the vineyard of His beloved. From the opening allegory in which God portrays Israel as a vine, it is evident that the fruit He seeks is justice and righteousness...

Nineteenth-century philosopher John Stuart Mill, in an address at the University of St. Andrews, said: “Bad men need nothing more to compass their ends, than that good men should look on and do nothing.” This famous quote (a version of which is sometimes attributed to Edmund Burke) has been adapted and repeated since, from Tolstoy to John...

In our passage today, the Lord promised to remove the fear of His Servant. Yes, enemies confronted and contended against His people, but the helping presence of the Lord would be sufficient to drive out their terror. They were His chosen people, the descendants of Abraham—the friend of God (v. 8). They were the only nation from among all peoples...

A favorite pastime for sports fans in recent years has been to argue about who is the G.O.A.T.—the Greatest Of All Time. Is Michael Jordan or LeBron James the greatest basketball player? Has Tom Brady conclusively claimed G.O.A.T. quarterback status? Did Tiger Woods supplant Jack Nicklaus as the G.O.A.T. golfer? Can anyone dispute boxer Muhammad...

Gelotophobia (literally, “fear of laughter”), sometimes also known as catagelotophobia, is the fear of being ridiculed or laughed at by others because of a mistake, miscue, or malfunction. It is a social disorder affecting millions of people, keeping some from speaking or performing in public settings. As everyone knows, the pain from ridicule...

The expressions “I’m just the mailman” and “Don’t shoot, I’m just the messenger!” try to ward off bad consequences for those who must deliver harsh or unwelcome news or instructions. The message bearer seeks to avoid receiving the ire that’s really directed toward the sender of the message. Being a bearer of good news often has the opposite...