The immense spiritual void in today’s society

United States presidential hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy has been consistently speaking about America’s “spiritual void,” even prior to last Wednesday’s debate. Seeing this void as one of the great downfalls of society’s ills, he identifies the problem as follows: “We’re hungry for a cause, purpose, meaning and identity.  At a point in our national history, when the things that used to fill that void – things like faith, patriotism, hard work, family – these things have disappeared. Instead, poison and secular cults have taken their place.” 

While Ramaswamy is, of course, referring to the down-spiraling American way of life, things are not much different here in the Promised Land. Yes, it’s true that tensions have always existed between the two predominant cultures of Arabs and Jews, but the escalation of violence, especially Arab to Arab, just within the last few weeks, clearly points to a troubling trend, and it’s hard to ignore what is so obviously a tremendous spiritual void which has become so prevalent. 

Former Jerusalem Post editor, Yaakov Katz, refers to the intensity of these events, documenting the alarming number of terrorist attacks that have occurred just “since the Netanyahu government took office at the end of December,” already totaling 35 individuals. He says, “that number is more than all of 2022 with four months still yet to finish out the year.”

While Katz rightly says that politicians have no solutions, he also doesn’t address what is causing this plague of rage and turmoil, responsible for the deaths of so many innocent people, as well as revenge murders of rivals who can’t seem to find their way to any unifying commonality despite belonging to the same ethnic groups.

So, it might be very constructive to examine how the solid elements that once brought cohesiveness to society have suddenly collapsed, creating a profoundly deep spiritual void in our midst. 

To begin with, all of us are born into a family and, while seldom perfect, that unit is meant to shield us, mold us, inspire us, correct us, as well as teach us values and truths, which will grant us stability and the means to walk out a worthy life for ourselves and the rest of society. However, if faith is absent from that family unit, much of the above list cannot be passed down to the next generation. Consequently, we need to look towards family and faith as being the first detectable failure which has, in large part, contributed to this spiritual void that is fast leading to our demise.  

It may seem like a contradiction because most Jews would claim to have strong values of faith and family, as would Arabs who don’t believe in a religion that inspires them to be martyrs. But if that is true, why are we embroiled in such frequent terror? What has dramatically changed? 

For family and faith to be genuine, vibrant and operative, it must start at the top, and that means that children must feel it deeply from their parents. Without a strong sense of ethics and real spiritual connection, those convictions will never find their way to our kids, because they are not random principles but ones that must be purposely deposited into the hearts and minds of our offspring.

The concept of a power greater than us must be taught from birth, because it is only through that recognition that we are able to properly value life, receive instruction on how to live it and acknowledge our limitations within the framework as underlings to the Creator.  

In short, if a family unit is lacking in faith, something else will fill that void, reserved exclusively for a spiritual component.  

Those competing forces can be ego, power, money, fame or just about anything which propels us to achieve our particular desired lust. The problem is that, without the spiritual component to keep us in check, we then become easy prey for destructive behaviors which drive us to fulfill our impulses, and that often includes the worst part of humanity – hatred, violence, murder, revenge, terror and every type of evil known to man.

The beauty of faith is that not only does it protect us from those detestable urges, but it also offers purpose, meaning and identity; all of the things we were meant to pursue in order to live happily, peaceably and successfully. Working hard towards those goals is a prerequisite to attain our greatest potential.

Another essential part of finding purpose and meaning is to have a healthy sense of appreciation for so many of the things we take for granted. That especially includes the people in our lives who provide us with affirmation, love, companionship and even fun. Most of us never realize how empty our lives would be without their presence. But it’s more than that! We are the recipients of so many blessings and benefits that often go unacknowledged. The ability to see them and be grateful for each act of kindness, every positive development and any unexpected gesture of mercy, helps us to realize that, although often undeserved, we receive so much more than we think. 

The tragedy is that instead of feeling encouraged, there is a sense that we are losing ground, as a species, each time we are confronted by senseless, tragic murders and mounting casualties which have become all too commonplace.  

None of us seem to be able to comprehend what has happened to both Jewish and Arab families who once held the gift of life as the most precious commodity of all. How could we have lost our grip on the spiritual values that meant so much; the blessing of family and the desire to live together in peace? There is an urgency that compels us to embrace these ideals anew so that we can escape the affliction we are presently facing.

To do that, it is incumbent upon each one of us to make an honest appraisal of where we went wrong. This needed reckoning couldn’t come at a better time than now, as we approach the Days of Awe, and look deep into our soul, asking the hard questions as to where we’re headed, both personally and together as a nation. 

Our society is riddled with the evidence of a spiritual void that cannot be filled with possessions, power over others or the desire to play God in whatever form that takes. The path to get back to basics comes by properly evaluating ourselves, with the understanding that we are human and not divine. 

While we’re being honest, we must admit that our tendencies are not toward kindness and generosity of spirit, which is why we will never be good on our own. This is our personal dilemma, and the only solution is to return to God in a sincere and passionate way, inviting Him to fill our void as we, simultaneously, relinquish the reins of our life.  

Anything short of this will further accelerate our descent into an abyss of unending chaos and violence that knows no bounds. One thing is for sure. Government, politicians, and even law enforcement will never be able to soften evil and corrupt hearts, making them fit for society. That is only the work of a supernatural Creator who can take “a heart of stone and turn it into a heart of flesh.” (Ezekiel 36:26)

Warning: While it requires an uncomfortable process of humility, lowering ourselves a few pegs, and developing a sense of gratitude, it sure beats living in a society bent on destroying one another! The spiritual void is waiting to be filled, but only each one of us is able to determine with what!