Noise and silence. Both sides of the coin.

I live in a noisy neighborhood. Right across the block to my right is a large hospital, so with that comes frequent ambulance sirens. And too throughout the day those ambulance sirens are coupled with or followed by police or firetruck sirens. And then there’s the people outside arguing with each other. Dogs barking, washing machines running, that one darn ice cream truck at night,  the courtyard gate swinging shut, air planes flying overhead and the occasional beat up rust bucket spinning donuts on the four way intersection just 40 feet from the living room window. So yes, I live in a noisy neighborhood.

In the mornings such as this one now, the only noise which fills the air happens to be the whirring of my computer and the fierce clicking of my keys. Oh, and the creaking of my makeshift desk. It’s quite a stark contrast. I would say that the silence gives me an opportunity to think but as it is with me and many others that doesn’t happen to be the case. You see, my mind is boiling over with useless thoughts. It churns up one after another and aerates itself thus becoming larger and hotter. And as a result, a great mess ensues. Now the stovetop that is in my mind is full of scales and grime that are both nightmarish to clean. It makes keeping my mind clean a chore. And to continue with the kitchen analogy I’ve been putting this task on the back burner for far too long. Something can still burn even if it simmers, it just takes a long time. 

Flip the coin.

What does Christ do to you? He washes you clean. “Come now, let’s settle this,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, I will make them as white as wool.”