Undisturbed by noise

Perhaps you live in a part of town that’s a haven of tranquility, where you’re never bothered by noise of any kind. But that is not the case for everyone. Many have to deal with unpleasant noise in their environment, whether they work in a loud factory or live beside railroad tracks. You may live with someone who watches television with the volume turned up full blast when you’re trying to sleep. Or you may have co-workers who talk loudly beside your office while you’re trying to work. Whatever the source of unwanted noise, its consequences may include irritability, insomnia, conflicts, concentration problems at work or school, and a loss of your natural peace and joy.

Fortunately, there’s a spiritual solution to the problem of noise. In the Bible, God promises us that “the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever. And my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places” (Isaiah 32:17, 18 ). This is welcome reassurance that when our goal in life is to live righteously, in accord with divine Love, our days are filled with serenity and joy.

When I moved into my current home in a “quiet” neighborhood several years ago, I really had to think deeply about these ideas because there were all kinds of noises that I frankly hadn’t anticipated. Roaring lawn mowers, yapping dogs, pounding music next door, and the noise of construction projects in the neighborhood threatened to invade the environment where I had hoped to live and work in peace.

I turned to prayer for a solution. I began by humbly acknowledging that my neighbors had the right to enjoy life fully, and that their intention wasn’t to disturb others.

Christian Science teaches that God is the only Mind, peaceful and harmonious, and that all creation reflects this peaceful Mind. I really cherished this idea and applied it to all aspects of my daily life. I reasoned that our Father-Mother God is the only creator and doesn’t create anything unpleasant for Her children (meaning all of us).

I tried to be more tolerant in general and less hypersensitive. I also took care not to make any kind of noise that could bother people around me.

Whenever the music next door kept me from sleeping, I lifted my thought to God and patiently prayed to understand the deep meaning of Psalm 91. I came to understand that my thought is protected “under the shadow of the Almighty” (verse 1 ). I savored the following promise: “He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust” (verse 4 ). It occurred to me that music is an idea communicated directly by divine Mind to a listener’s thought, and the communication from divine Mind to my neighbors’ thinking could neither touch nor annoy me.

A progressive unfolding of spiritual ideas was taking place in my thought. I saw that the kingdom of God is where we actually live and His kingdom is completely spiritual, not material. It doesn’t include any destructive material forces such as sound waves or vibrations capable of jarring my consciousness. I acknowledged that we live in the atmosphere of divine Soul, where the only “frequencies” are the gentle rhythms of divine Life.

When our goal in life is to live righteously, our days are filled with serenity and joy.

The true man (each one of us) is a spiritual idea rather than a material body, and doesn’t include anything that can become irritated. In Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, Mary Baker Eddy writes, “All that really exists is the divine Mind and its idea, and in this Mind the entire being is found harmonious and eternal” (p. 151 ). Since we’re all created in the likeness of God, divine Spirit, our true senses are spiritual, not material. Science and Health notes that “Spirit’s senses are without pain, and they are forever at peace” (pp. 214–215 ).

As I thought about the various noises around me, it occurred to me that we’re all part of one joyous universal family, so the sounds of daily living can’t bother us. In Science and Health, Mary Baker Eddy confirms that “… good and its sweet concords have all-power” (p. 130 ).

The Bible explains that a loving, prayerful attitude is like a spiritual suit of armor, and I love praying with the idea that my thought is protected by the “helmet of salvation” (see Ephesians 6 ). Praying this way, I increasingly feel as if I’m wearing a spiritual “helmet” that totally protects the tranquility of my thought and activities.

My home is now a quiet, peaceful refuge. And if there’s a noise once in a while that starts to bother me, I know how to solve the problem through prayer. Occasionally, my prayers have led me to take practical steps. For example, a couple of times I’ve lovingly asked my neighbors to turn down their music, which they’ve willingly done.

When our thought is filled with spiritual ideas and unconditional love for all God’s creation, there’s no room for anything unpleasant. Mary Baker Eddy writes, “Good thoughts are an impervious armor; …” (The First Church of Christ, Scientist, and Miscellany, p. 210 ). Nothing can prevent us from accomplishing all the good that God has in store for us.

I’m so grateful to have learned from Science and Health that “… real consciousness is cognizant only of the things of God” (p. 276 ). The one Mind, God, good, can know only its own harmonious mental action: the unfoldment of spiritual ideas that bring peace, progress, and joy to all humanity.