There is a time to keep silence and a time to speak

When not saying enough could be dangerous?

The Bible tells us that we will account for every idle word we speak - Matthew 12:36

‘But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account of them in the day of judgment’.  

One part of the meaning of idle is "careless."  

Besides careless words, a careless silence can also be dangerous. It can be a form of condoning an action we witness that is wrong. Silence, when a warning is needed, is something that we hold people responsible for. God, too, holds people accountable for being silent when they ought to cry out. 

WAITING AT THE HH - An uncertain future-

Ezekiel was set as a spiritual watchman over the nation of Israel to warn the people with a message from God to repent and return to the paths of righteousness. Notice what God said in Ezekiel 3: 17 - 21: ‘Ezekiel, son of man, I have appointed you to stand watch for the people of Israel. So listen to what I say, then warn them for me. When I tell wicked people they will die because of their sins, you must warn them to turn from their sinful ways so they won’t be punished. If you refuse, you are responsible for their death. However, if you do warn them, and they keep on sinning, they will die because of their sins, and you will be innocent. Now suppose faithful people start sinning, and I decide to put stumbling blocks in their paths to make them fall. They deserve to die because of their sins. So if you refuse to warn them, I will forget about the times they were faithful, and I will hold you responsible for their death. But if you do warn them, and they listen to you and stop sinning, I will let them live. And you will be innocent’.

A watchman was a key figure in the towns of the ancient world. He would be stationed to guard the maturing crops in the field to see that they were not stolen by bandits or ravaged by wild animals. From his position on the walls, he would observe the traffic of society moving each day in and out of the city, sometimes announcing the approach of strangers on the roads leading in. In time of war, the watchman would warn of enemy troops coming against the town to lay siege. His vigilance meant life or death to the city's inhabitants. How people responded to his warning message was critical.

There is a time to keep silence and a time to speak (Ecclesiastes 3:7). 

Wisdom is knowing the difference, and character is applying that knowledge.

ST. PAUL HOSPITAL CLOSES AFTER 123 YEARS

God provides watchmen for His people in today's world, too, and I see the role of FSAOF and the supporters who have contributed to the Howard Hospital issue as that of spiritual watchmen - or 'watchpeople' if you wish to be PC. No individual or organisation is perfect, and we all stray from the 'pure' path. We all need reminding of God's standards. They are our moral and spiritual guides for faithful Christian service.

It is disheartening and frustrating for such a concerted effort as this (to try to bring TSA leadership to acknowledge the wrongdoing at HH) to have yielded nothing but silence until the publication of the Tariro story. This article, although laudable in concept, contained so much that can only be labelled ‘spin’, and left out the ‘heart’ of the hospital – the contribution of Dr Thistle. Truly – a wasted opportunity.

There is a basic spiritual discipline at stake here which, as Major (Dr) Watt says, threatens the very future of our beloved Army – it is repentance - - and it beggars belief that senior leaders have not yet acted upon it in this case. However unpalatable the truth is, God says wrongdoing must be confessed and laid at the foot of the cross. Not until then will this story cease. Unconfessed sin is a barrier to spiritual progression, and the leaders should know this and act accordingly.

Former Officer

Canada