“Please scream inside your heart!”
July 12, 2020
Just when we think we have taken all the necessary precautions to do our part in not spreading COVID-19, we learn a new one! Many Japanese theme parks are asking people to “refrain from vocalizing loudly” and to “please scream inside your heart” when riding roller coasters for fear of spreading the corona virus. Refraining from screaming out loud keeps people from spreading droplets of the virus.
Many people are skeptical as to the possibility of screaming inside their hearts and question the logic of it. After all, isn’t the point of going on these scream producing rides to have the cathartic release of blowing off steam?
Apparently it is possible to scream inside your heart, as the following video shows two stoic executives, from an amusement park near Tokyo, riding the Fujiyama roller coaster without screaming:
Roller Coaster Ride without Screaming
Please scream in your heart! It is a polite request in some sense and even a beautiful way of asking thrill-seekers to refrain from screaming their heart out! And maybe this really does prevent the spread of the coronavirus!
However, there is a place we may all go and scream our hearts out without fear of spreading the virus and without fear of contamination, and that is before the Lord! He longs to hear our fears and fright, and He longs to calm our troubled hearts!
Throughout Scripture, believers are instructed to cry out to God in times of trouble. Here are a few examples:
“…and call upon me in the day of trouble;
I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.” (Psalm 50:15).
“Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.” (Jeremiah 33:3).
“When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears
and delivers them out of all their troubles.” (Psalm 34:17).
“Then my enemies will turn back
in the day when I call.
This I know, thatGod is for me.” (Psalm 56:9).
We can also noisily shout to the Lord in praise of all He is and all He does:
Psalm 150
Praise the Lord!
Praise God in his sanctuary;
praise him in his mighty heavens!
2 Praise him for his mighty deeds;
praise him according to his excellent greatness!
3 Praise him with trumpet sound;
praise him with lute and harp!
4 Praise him with tambourine and dance;
praise him with strings and pipe!
5 Praise him with sounding cymbals;
praise him with loud clashing cymbals!
6 Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord!
