here we are in the midst of greenbelt on a saturday night
and it's noisy
we thought we were coming to the countryside
but all around us is the noise of a city here for a weekend

noise is unwanted sound
what's music in the dance tent is noise over here
but noise isn't just about sound
it's about information
noise is whatever drowns out or conceals meaningful information

our lives are full of noise
too much information
too many messages that don't add up to any coherent whole
all competing for our attention

and the noise on the outside
makes its way inside us
seeping into our minds and hearts
until we don't know any more
which voice inside us is our own

society and the media have moved in
and each of us is lost in our own inner city.

god is pushing through the crowd
searching the amusement arcades
department stores and burger bars inside us
for a face that only he will recognise
the face of our true selves

he knows we need to get away
to leave the city and be alone with him
so that he can teach us how to recognise ourselves
next time we're lost in the crowds of unknowing