Stay Connected. Or Else.

I know every subculture does this in its own way, but when the Christian culture jumps on the bandwagon of "buy our product cuz it's Jesus-approved." well, I get riled up.  This happens in a number of ways, I know (political, materials, business, church attendance, etc) but while listening to the radio this morning, a new wave hit me.

Now I am both thankful, and frustrated, with Christian radio, but when I'm listening to a clip about how hard it is to say goodbye to dear friends and then THAT is what segues into their promo for their new crack-berry app, agh.  ("Now you never have to say goodbye!") 

What?!  Shouldn't the Christian community be encouraging stillness?  connection with Jesus?  Learning how to be in the tension of the difficult?  UN-plugging?!

Man....Especially using the analogy of saying goodbye to dear friends...that could have been a great beginning to speak about the beautiful tension a Christian (in particular) has to live in of the "already, but not yet" that is our sanctification process!  The frequent times in life when God moves us to a different season before we're "ready."  The times of dealing with the finality of death.  The reality of eternity.  The temporary reality of sin.  The beauty of trusting in an eternal God.  Taking our pain and confusion and hurt to God and to others!

I mean, holy cow, are we just going to keep pushing pushing pushing for MORE all the time?!  More connection.  More plugged in.  More information.  More entertainment.  More noise. 

Sheesh.

Here I am, adding to the noise myself. 
Ah, there's a balance, for sure. 
This is the reality of our culture today, so ok. 

But, again, to have the church just keep on pushing for more activity and more noise....that really frustrates me.  ...ah, I wish we would begin encouraging the stillness and quiet required for our spirit's to be refreshed by the Word of Life.  [and we wonder why we're always exhausted and never satisfied.] 

I know we have a lot of legit reasons to be plugged in.  But what are we doing to our youth?  our children?  our families by always keeping up-to-date on EVERY frickin' thing under the sun?  Must we know all?  Are we really required to be 'on' all the time?  Why are we promoting the noise instead of teaching how to minimize it? 

We all have a sphere of influence.  I try to use mine to bring Life.  To encourage stillness (this is not lazy!).  Will you as well?  I would challenge you this week (myself too) to be intentional to be still for a while.  To minimize the noise.  To filter what exactly you 'need to know' and what are just silly illusions of control and escape.

...I mean, why do we need to be plugged in?  To respond so quickly?  Why do we replace real-time relationships with purely online connections?...Do we know how to prioritize and respond to what God calls us to?  Ah....I'm still so old fashioned in this...  perhaps it is me who must change and get with it??  hmm...

Agh, we are forgetting!  :(  We are forgetting how to listen.  How to speak.  How to hold one another in the midst of pain.  How to ask for help.  How to receive.  For REAL.

Stop being so busy. 

I need to stop being so busy.  What messages am I buying?  Why am I ALWAYS subject to the tyranny of the urgent?  Do I have a choice or not?  If I do, why am I so unwilling to write a better story?

Be still.  Listen.


BE.