This month’s devotional is all about ” The media and our noise level”. It’s mainly all about how we’ve become experts in letting the media permeate all areas of our lives such that we no longer have time for relating with others. We look for ways to block out the silence because if we sit still long enough to listen, we might just uncover how lonely we really are, even in the midst of the everyday noise of living. I was listening to one of the radio stations the other day and someone was asking for prayer because they were feeling so lonely to the point of becoming depressed. This isn’t the first time I’ve heard people asking for prayer on the same lines; another person was feeling so lonely that they were actually contemplating suicide!

The sad thing about all this is that this are people living among us. However, we’ve become a society that encourages establishing superficial relationships that we miss seeing such people. I, for one, have a habit of asking , “Hi, how are you?” without the patience of waiting for someone to really tell me how they’re fairing. The few times that I’ve actually stopped to get a real response, I find myself zoning out to find an appropriate response for this person, which equates to my missing out on quite a bit of information (including non-verbal cues)!

I therefore did some introspection especially after feeling prompted to go through 1 Corinthians 13 which defines what love really is. Love – the vital antidote to the loneliness in our lives.

⁴Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

It was quite an eye-opener for me as many are the times that I look at relationships with a ‘what’s in it for me’ attitude. There are times that I’ll decide to sever ties with someone because ‘they are too needy.’  Other times, I’ll decide someone isn’t worth knowing because ‘we have nothing in common’ (read, different value systems). I also like assuming that all my friends and family are well so I can be quiet for months on end – after all, communication is two way and they can call and find out how I’m doing just this once!

Anyway, I’ve decided to take up this challenge and reach out to others regardless. Whenever the opportunity arises, I’ll try and establish a conversation with someone who is out of my comfort zone. I’ll also tell my family and friends just how important they are to me and not wait until there’s a special occasion for me to do so. With God’s grace (and less interference from our now unplugged telly), I’ll open up my heart and home, to all.