You’re standing in the center of a dimly-lit room filled with beautiful, chattering people. Everybody but you is talking. There’s a sleek, well-dressed man standing on a stage, glaring at you, talking loudly into a microphone. He says he wants to give you the good life: fast cars, fancy homes, expensive clothes and the thing that allures you the most…passionate love. He tells you he’s given that life to all the people standing around you…free of charge. All you have to do is walk up to the stage and take his hand.

You look at the faces around the room. The clothes, the hair, the makeup…all so perfect. And the way everyone seems to be so enamored with one another…oh, you could get used to this. Everyone appears to be so happy.

But then you start to look in their eyes. Something is missing. All the eyes are dull and lifeless.

You look back to the man on stage as he’s intently describing to you all the happiness he wants to give you. Out of the corner of your eye, just off to the side and behind him, you spot chains and shackles. You’re leery, and your doubt and suspicion begin to rise. You start to think that what he’s saying isn’t true, but you continue to give him your attention because he’s the loudest.

You begin to hear words like shame, fear and doubt arise from the voices in the crowd. You begin to replay those words in your head, while trying to figure out how exactly you got in that room in the first place.

You suddently want to escape the room to grab a few moments of peace and quiet, but as you look around, you realize there are no doors.

That’s when you notice a man in the corner, staring at you, motioning you to come his way. He looks different from everyone else in the room. His eyes sparkle, and He seems to be speaking to you, but you can’t hear him because of all the other voices and the loud man on the stage.

The voices in the room fill you with confusion, but you decide to walk over to the man in the corner because he seems to be beckoning you with compassion in his eyes. As you do, the voices get louder, and the man on the stage begins to yell. He tells you that you need to go back to the center of the room.

You pause, unsure of whether to continue.

The man in the corner never hesitates. He continues to motion you over. You begin to walk again, and as you do, every other voice in the room is at maximum volume. The beautiful people with plastic smiles try to trip you, and some even have the nerve to hit you. But the man in the corner seems to be drawing you to himself. You can no longer look away.

Someone finally manages to knock you to the floor, and they all begin to laugh. For a moment, your eyes are cast down, as the man on the stage and the people begin to chant Fear, shame and doubt. The tears stream down your face as you begin to believe those words.

Without hesitation, the man in the corner steps forwards, bends down to the floor, and extends his hands to you. You lift your eyes to meet his, and you reach out your hand to his. Suddenly, every other voice fades away, as he tells you how he’s been waiting for you. He tells you how beautiful you are and that your fall increased his compassion for you. He tells you how he wants to take you out of that room to a place where you can rest and let him love you. That’s when you notice the door…the one just behind where he’d been standing. You give a weak nod of your head. Yes, you want out of this room. With his strong arms, he lifts you and carries you out of the room, away from the voices.