Longing is in the silence.

You can hear it if you listen.

The steady sound of a busy crowd.

With every word hangs another hope,

the hope of something greater than here,

stronger than now,

to counteract this fear and mundanity,

this idea that all there is to be known is the current state of the weather or the latest news in politics.

Or maybe, this pulse of everyday living is not less... but rather more.

These seconds, these minutes, these hours. This is life.

It is made up of the little moments, the "how are you's," the conversation with the man who brewed your coffee, the neighborhood walks with your family on a star-lit night.

These little, seemingly insignificant times can go by, and they can be missed. Were you on the phone when you picked up your morning coffee? Did you skip out on the walk to stay home watching TV?

The world may be getting smaller, and if we are not careful, it will become emptier as well. Less heart. Less time spent with those who matter. Less out-of-the-blue conversations about your aunt's secret cake recipe or that time you locked your keys in the car when it was snowing. Less love.

I have come to the realization that society as a whole is not only becoming more self-absorbed; it is also becoming less absorbent of human connection.

Eye contact seems equivalent to a poison nowadays. It is thought of as dangerous and overly vulnerable to allow one to see through the window of the soul for more than a few seconds.

Self-checkout is seemingly the preference. There is a sense of entitlement to personal space. What kind of creatures are we to avoid our own kind rather than invite? We are different than the rest of creation, yet we act as if this difference makes us the only ones of importance. We lack this sense of community and togetherness that should instead be a motivation. No wonder so many feel lonely.

This is what we were made for. Real connection. Real community. No time wasted on keeping up with what we have lied to ourselves about deserving. When He who created has come down to our level and did what we did not have the power or the means to do. To sanctify and cleanse what was scarlet forever, so that we may be one with He who is our beloved-- what right do we have to deny any act of love towards our neighbor? May we love our neighbor-- anyone we cross paths with in this life-- may we be vessels of that love which has been shown to us.