Obsessed with Distraction
By Michael Lane, Executive Director, Delve Christian Ministries
We need to find God, and he cannot be
found in noise and restlessness. God is the friend of silence. See how
nature -- trees, flowers, grass -- grows in silence; see the stars, the
moon and the sun, how they move in silence. We need silence to be able
to touch souls. - Mother Theresa
A few months ago, one of my favorite bloggers, Peter Bregman, wrote about his experience with the new iPad from Apple. To summarize, he spent about a week with it and then decided to return it, but not for the reasons you might expect. It was not broken or ineffective. On the contrary, Peter decribed the iPad as being brilliant and he found that it was able, for the the most part, to do everything he wanted. So why did Peter return it? Because it's too good. He found himself reaching for it at all hours. Even worse, he found himself reaching for it at times when he should have been doing something else, such as sleeping or spending time with family.
I can relate. I don't own an iPad, but I do own an iPhone so I know first hand exactly what Peter is talking about. It's the first thing I reach for in the doctor's waiting room or while waiting for others to arrive to a meeting. That's reasonable, I suppose, but lately I've found myself reaching for it in the car at long red lights or when I'm watching television with my wife. That's not reasonable, and it's gotten me into some hot water.
The point Peter was trying to make is that we've lost our respect and desire for quiet, introspective thought. It's so easy to fill our minds with information or tap into entertainment that there is no longer a need to ever be without it - not in the car, not in our bedrooms, not even when we're camping or on vacation. Every moment of the day, regardless of where I am, I can check my email, watch a podcast, update Twitter or read the news. The vast majority of the time, there is not a single email, news story or social networking update that comes even close to affecting my life, but I read them all anyway. At the very moment when I sense that I am not listening to something, reading something or doing something, I instinctively reach out for anything that will occupy my mind and keep me from...well from what? Boredom? Silence? My own thoughts? Not being productive? I'm not sure, but I think it's some combination of these fears.
Up to this point, Peter and I agree completely. It's clear that many of us are addicted to filling our heads with worthless information and mindless entertainment whenever we sense that our minds are not completed engaged. When we do this, something very important is lost. However, Peter and I will diverge here when it comes to exactly what it is that we are really losing. His blog goes on to talk about the value of boredom, and the role that it plays in the creative process. I'm much more concerned with what all this is doing to our prayer time and our relationship with God.
Scheduled prayer time is wonderful and essential, but the most impassioned and meaningful prayer happens spontaneously when we have a quiet moment and an open mind. Two of the most powerful times I've ever spent with God were both unplanned and unexpected. One occurred while I was riding up an escalator in a mostly abandoned Toronto skyscraper, very early in the morning, waiting for my new job to start. The other happened in a dark, quiet room as I held my sleeping newborn daughter. On both occasions, I took advantage of the peace and silence to reflect on God's goodness and fully experience my appreciation for everything he's done. I felt the presence of God, and I was overwhelmed with peace and joy.
These moments both took place before I owned my iPhone, and I am humbled and frightened to realize that neither would have happened otherwise. If I'd had my phone with me on that escalator, I almost certainly would have been listening to a podcast. While I held my daughter, I would have also been reading the news. How many similarly amazing encounters with God have I missed in the 24 months since I have had access to instant distraction on-demand?
I have never deliberately distracted myself with my phone in order to avoid spending time with God, but the effect is the same nonetheless. It is simply not possible to read the news and also carry on a meaningful conversation - not with my wife and not with God. When I have an idle moment and I choose to pick up that phone, I have simultaneously also made the choice to not spend that time with Him.
So, am I getting rid of my iPhone, as Peter did with his iPad? No, I'm not. I respect his choice, but I also understand that this is not the fault of the phone, and especially not the fault of Apple for creating such a compelling device. It's my fault, and getting rid of the phone would be a temporary solution which does nothing to address the underlying concerns. What I need is a ongoing dose of humility which reminds me that the world will not end if I don't check Twitter and Facebook every hour. But most importantly, I simply need to remember that every time I pick up the phone and choose to occupy my mind with empty noise, I am closing it to the Holy Spirit and the conversation He wants to have with me in that moment. I hope that you will do the same - pause and reflect before your pick your distraction tool of choice, and ask if your time would be better spent in quiet conversation with God.
A few months ago, one of my favorite bloggers, Peter Bregman, wrote about his experience with the new iPad from Apple. To summarize, he spent about a week with it and then decided to return it, but not for the reasons you might expect. It was not broken or ineffective. On the contrary, Peter decribed the iPad as being brilliant and he found that it was able, for the the most part, to do everything he wanted. So why did Peter return it? Because it's too good. He found himself reaching for it at all hours. Even worse, he found himself reaching for it at times when he should have been doing something else, such as sleeping or spending time with family.
I can relate. I don't own an iPad, but I do own an iPhone so I know first hand exactly what Peter is talking about. It's the first thing I reach for in the doctor's waiting room or while waiting for others to arrive to a meeting. That's reasonable, I suppose, but lately I've found myself reaching for it in the car at long red lights or when I'm watching television with my wife. That's not reasonable, and it's gotten me into some hot water.
The point Peter was trying to make is that we've lost our respect and desire for quiet, introspective thought. It's so easy to fill our minds with information or tap into entertainment that there is no longer a need to ever be without it - not in the car, not in our bedrooms, not even when we're camping or on vacation. Every moment of the day, regardless of where I am, I can check my email, watch a podcast, update Twitter or read the news. The vast majority of the time, there is not a single email, news story or social networking update that comes even close to affecting my life, but I read them all anyway. At the very moment when I sense that I am not listening to something, reading something or doing something, I instinctively reach out for anything that will occupy my mind and keep me from...well from what? Boredom? Silence? My own thoughts? Not being productive? I'm not sure, but I think it's some combination of these fears.
Up to this point, Peter and I agree completely. It's clear that many of us are addicted to filling our heads with worthless information and mindless entertainment whenever we sense that our minds are not completed engaged. When we do this, something very important is lost. However, Peter and I will diverge here when it comes to exactly what it is that we are really losing. His blog goes on to talk about the value of boredom, and the role that it plays in the creative process. I'm much more concerned with what all this is doing to our prayer time and our relationship with God.
Scheduled prayer time is wonderful and essential, but the most impassioned and meaningful prayer happens spontaneously when we have a quiet moment and an open mind. Two of the most powerful times I've ever spent with God were both unplanned and unexpected. One occurred while I was riding up an escalator in a mostly abandoned Toronto skyscraper, very early in the morning, waiting for my new job to start. The other happened in a dark, quiet room as I held my sleeping newborn daughter. On both occasions, I took advantage of the peace and silence to reflect on God's goodness and fully experience my appreciation for everything he's done. I felt the presence of God, and I was overwhelmed with peace and joy.
These moments both took place before I owned my iPhone, and I am humbled and frightened to realize that neither would have happened otherwise. If I'd had my phone with me on that escalator, I almost certainly would have been listening to a podcast. While I held my daughter, I would have also been reading the news. How many similarly amazing encounters with God have I missed in the 24 months since I have had access to instant distraction on-demand?
I have never deliberately distracted myself with my phone in order to avoid spending time with God, but the effect is the same nonetheless. It is simply not possible to read the news and also carry on a meaningful conversation - not with my wife and not with God. When I have an idle moment and I choose to pick up that phone, I have simultaneously also made the choice to not spend that time with Him.
So, am I getting rid of my iPhone, as Peter did with his iPad? No, I'm not. I respect his choice, but I also understand that this is not the fault of the phone, and especially not the fault of Apple for creating such a compelling device. It's my fault, and getting rid of the phone would be a temporary solution which does nothing to address the underlying concerns. What I need is a ongoing dose of humility which reminds me that the world will not end if I don't check Twitter and Facebook every hour. But most importantly, I simply need to remember that every time I pick up the phone and choose to occupy my mind with empty noise, I am closing it to the Holy Spirit and the conversation He wants to have with me in that moment. I hope that you will do the same - pause and reflect before your pick your distraction tool of choice, and ask if your time would be better spent in quiet conversation with God.
This has really got me think, for the original devotional and more ideas about Christianity, go here
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