As I watch the evening news, I often can’t believe what I hear or see. The shootings, the violence, and all the innocent people caught between the bullets and the beatings. What has happened to our society that we have become such strangers to each other in our own country? There does not seem to be an agreement on how to live in harmony with one another anymore. As a Christian, and with the directive of loving one’s neighbor, which Jesus gave us, I am often confused about how to help or move forward. I think most people today close their eyes and let the outside world go by. They do not want to comment or get involved. We are a community without a middle ground. A middle ground is needed to allow us to meet and discuss what we have in common. How can we move forward if we cannot agree on friendship?

There are so many wonderful things in our lives, but the insistence of commercialism and the need for consumerism have left our society at odds. We have created a culture and lifestyle that, in turn, has produced a society developing into a hedonistic world, complete with laws and boundaries that are anti-human. Have we forgotten how much we need others and how beautiful it is to live in harmony and peace with others? As I watch television, like a football game, the noise and intense visuals that hype the violence and raw power of the game are overwhelming. Almost all of our television entertainment is filled with violence or raw power. Do we need a burst of visuals and almost cartoon-like energy to announce a coming contest, or music that pounds us into sound? On an early morning show, they sell cookbooks and products, showcase a new movie underwritten by their company, and consider news and interviews as minor to the broadcast’s endeavors. Our exposure to so much violence and selling can be visually and mentally exhausting by the end of the day. The noise, the marketing, the hype –all make one crave a small alcove where you can rest in silence, away from the constant bombardment of sensory stimuli and self-wants. Is it any wonder that mental illness is on the rise in our society?

As human beings, we require silence, meditation, and just plain ordinary. Many have found solace in nature: the trees, the fresh air, the whisper of the wind, and the deep tranquility of an early snowfall. For a Christian, the gift of prayer and solitude brings the deep waters of healing and refreshment to a person. God is a refuge, and a loving place of care for any who wishes to leave the current chaos. Jesus is also waiting to hear from us, to be with him in prayer. He wants a personal relationship with each of us. There are no distancing regulations in his company. He is the oasis of peace and care. But to see Him, to understand the love He offers, is difficult when those around you are living in the layer of noise and hype of buying and selling. Our culture has turned into a temple of unending noise and entertainment. This area of what I would call commercial culture also has a downside to the human spirit. It does not allow the person time for reflection or time for solitude or peace. It constantly demands that we participate either as a consumer or as a seller.

This type of culture we have developed keeps the human person locked in a middle ground of wanting and buying; it does not pursue what is best for the soul and the growth of virtue. It is shallow at best and does not address such things as ethics or vision. The current culture keeps us in the zone of continuous bombardment with desire and enjoyment. The noise of the market and the compulsion to check our phones ensure that we do not have time to think, let alone consider praying. The soul needs a resting place, so it can clearly see and find peace within it. Sometimes, in late fall, I go outside my house, and the intense smell of fall leaves and crispy air drenches my spirit. As I look up, the sky has heavy clouds rolling against the open blue heavens. An electric moon sets in the dark blue of the evening. The silence surrounds me as a pool of contentment. I raise my voice in prayer to my God.

The beauty of the late evening washes away all the hassles and shortcomings of the day, the disappointments, as well as the noise I gathered in the day’s passage. I breathe, and my savior holds me in His hand, and for a moment, peace and sustaining love overtake my being. I am renewed. Our lives need prayer, this space of satisfaction and communication with God. I suggest to you, prayer as a refuge against the current chaos. Peace is given freely; all you have to do is ask.

I lift up my eyes to the mountains — where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth.

(Psalm 121:1-2)