Tag Archives: solitude

February 1, 2013

Competition to the Voice of God

By brian

“Miniature tape players are no doubt traffic hazards, and they certainly feed the hedonism that is the fate of America in the late 20th century. But perhaps their greatest danger is to call into existence still one more competitor to the voice of God.”

Mark Noll, “The Walkman Cometh,” in The Reformed Journal (July 1986). 

This is going to date me, but I can still remember when the first Sony walkman came out.  How cool that you could listen to a cassette tape or listen to radio while you walked!  Portable music outside your car! It was unthinkable.  Today we have so many variations on this theme.  Even beginner smartphones allow you to listen to MP3s.

But the second piece of Noll’s observations are what is interesting to me.  Look at the date of his quote.  All the way back in 1986.  But don’t miss his point. When we hear so many voices, it makes it difficult to hear the One Voice.

Perhaps this is why the discipline of solitude is becoming so increasingly important in our world.  To sit quietly with no distractions.  Everything off.  Nothing vying for my attention.  This becomes one of the most important steps to truly cultivating a relationship with God.

But for a generation that is used to stimulus, this is no easy task.  In fact, it even sounds ridiculous to suggest it!  “Why would I want to do that?”  Because it is essential to not only discover God but also to uncover the true you.  We hide ourselves through constant distraction.  Solitude removes the walls and paper mache coverings.

Can I suggest a period of solitude for us?  Begin with 30 minutes.  Move away from all distractions.  Sit quietly and see what happens.  At first, it may not be easy.  Your mind may flood with so many things – to do lists, meetings, conversations, even grocery shopping.  But gently put the ideas to the side and continue to simply pursue silence.  Even tell God that it is not easy for you.  But persist!

My hunch is that over time something truly remarkable may begin to emerge.  Try it.  See if I am right.

Our souls need this.  I hope you will join me in listening for the One Voice that matters more than all the rest.

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July 7, 2012

Pitfalls of the “Connected Life”

By brian

I recently saw this article from Sherry Turkle,  professor at MIT.

We expect more from technology and less from one another and seem increasingly drawn to technologies that provide the illusion of companionship without the demands of relationship.  Always-on/always-on-you devices provide three powerful fantasies:

  •   that we will always be heard;
  •   that we can put our attention wherever we want it to be;
  •   and that we never have to be alone.

Indeed our new devices have turned being alone into a problem that can be solved.

When people area alone, even for a few moments, they fidget and reach for a device.  Here connection works like a symptom, not a cure, and our constant, reflexive impulse to connect shapes a new way of being.

Think of it as “I share, therefore I am.”  We use technology to define ourselves by sharing our thoughts and feelings as we’re having them.  We used to think, “I have a feeling; I want to make a call.”  Now our impulse is, “I want to have a feeling; I need to send a text.”

So, in order to feel more, and to feel more like ourselves, we connect.  But in our rush to connect, we flee from solitude, our ability to be separate and gather ourselves.  Lacking the capacity for solitude, we turn in to other people but don’t experience them as they are.  It is as though we use them, need them as spare parts to support our increasingly fragile selves.

We think constant connection will make us feel less lonely.  The opposite is true.  If we are unable to be alone, we are far more likely to be lonely.  If we don’t teach our children to be alone, they will know only to be lonely.

Sherry Turkle, psychologist and professor at MIT
NYTimes Sunday Review,April 22, 2012)

For as many benefits that the “connected life” brings to us, there are certainly also pitfalls.  Like most technology, we should ask what it means to use it rather than be owned by it.

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