Musing on the throne

As I sat using the restroom this morning, with the door wide open as is the custom in my home as I expect my visitors to arrive imminently as I have all but given up on bathroom privacy, I listened to the kids in the basement playing. Josie kept yelling IPOD! IPOD! and as I pondered that the word ipod registers in her first 100 words, I realized how different her upbringing already is than  her brother's was. When Jack arrived just 10 years ago, Rob had a beeper for me to contact him when I thought it was time to head to the hospital. A beeper. And now, Josie, at 1,  knows how to swipe through my photos on my iphone and play videos. It's amazing to realize the pace that technology is moving at and it amazes me just as much the people who are able to keep up with that pace.

I have mentioned before that I'm not all that interested in keeping up with all of it. There is some truth in the mere fact that it's easier not to learn it. It can be overwhelming to keep up with all of it. But moreso, it's my desire to not do it. To try to keep the pace slower and the interactions more solid and tangible. Look around at people in lines, or in restaurants. It's gotten to the place where people truly feel uncomfortable with silence and quiet space. If a person is idle, even for a moment, they appear fidgety and embarressed to not be typing away or looking at a screen like everyone else is, or maybe they feel like they are wasting time or being unproductive.

Which led me into my next thought... if quiet time, and mental silence, is going by the wayside, what is happening to society's relationship with God? If we can't sit and just drink a cup of coffee while looking out the window at the trees swaying and the birds flying and be amazed by creation. If we can't stand in line and just be still. If we can't just be. If we can't turn off the itunes and have nothing flowing into our ears. Where will contemplation and meditation go? When will be able to listen to God and just be in His presence?

While technology has brought huge gains to our medical fields and national safety, what are the equally powerful downsides and what does our future look like?

Something to think about as you drink your coffee today and look out the window.