Emphasis Preaching Journal

Debra Farrington in her book, Learning to Hear with the Heart, tells of the horror of an experiment to re-produce the feelings of someone caught up in schizophrenia. She comments: "On the radio news recently, I heard a story about someone who created a device that simulates the experience of schizophrenia. The reporter played a taped segment of what the person using the device hears and even a few seconds of it frightened me. Too many voices were talking each on top of the other, with not a moment's break in the din. I got a sense of how painful the experience of schizophrenia must be and how difficult it is for reality to break through all of those chaotic voices."

Young King Solomon sought to close his ears to the many competing voices that would tell him how to rule his kingdom. Instead, he simply asked God to give him "an understanding mind" so that he could wisely govern his people.