I remember as a kid, I wanted to be an NBA star. I would spend countless hours playing basketball with friends so that I could be like Larry Bird (I know that I am giving my age here), and pretty much anyone on the Boston Celtics 1980's squad. When I got into high school, I spent lots of time socializing with my friends playing sports and hanging on the weekends. We would pull pranks, talk, and just hang out all the time. I built connections and friendships based on face to face interaction, and memories that required work, effort and time.
That era is coming to a close. We are now in the new technological era of facebook, twitter, and cellphones in the hands of 8 year olds. You can reconnect with old high school buddies, tweet something you just saw, or call and text to your hearts content. Whether we like it or not it has changed the landscape of relationships and obtaining of new ones: I would argue both positive and negative.
I will be the first as a pastor tell you that I text a lot, I use my phone all the time and it is extremely helpful. I can text youth, young adults and even adults (like my mom) to keep in touch, schedule hang out times, and just catch up (currently I am messaging my sister on facebook). It allows me to be up to date with information and yet at the same time it feels and seems like a lonely world.
The problem I have with it is that it seems to make us lonely and it can create tension within relationships. Even in my life I see where I have my phone in hand staring at it when I have someone sitting right next to me. Or I hear the little jingle of a text message and I really really want to answer it or see who it was.
ANother major problem is that people seem to want to deal with situations that they would normally be face to face and deal with it via twitter, or facebook, or text. Like breaking up with someone, or telling someone off, or even a serious conversation about life. Why? The argument is usually because its easier, but I think the problem is deeper than that. I think that it is a lack of emotional confidence to deal with a situation face to face.
Recently their was an article about this very subject and here is what MIT director and sociologist Sherry Turkle said about relationships and technology:
People would rather text than talk, because they can control how much time it takes. They can control where it fits in their schedule. When you have the amount of velocity and volume [of communication] that we have in our lives, we have to control our communications very dramatically. So controlling relationships becomes a major theme in digital communication. And that's what sometimes makes us feel alone together — because controlled relationships are not necessarily relationships in which you feel kinship.
So there is loneliness as we try to control all the relationships, therefore creating less of a connection or "kinship" with other people.
But what was most interesting to me (I know this is a biblical blog and wondering where the bible was going to come in) was what she said in context of youth but is absolutely applicable to you and I:
"On the one hand, they're so together that all they can do is text. And I identify with these teenagers, because it's the way we're all living our lives: you wake up in the morning, and you have 500 e-mails or 100 messages, and you say, "I don't have time to do anything but respond to this." So your life becomes completely reactive — you don't feel alone, but you don't feel connected.
What you certainly don't have time to do is experience solitude. One of the most important things that we're really losing is the ability to just be alone in a restorative way.
Scripture constantly tells us to take a time to worship God through stillness. Psalm 46:10, tells us to Be still and know that I am God." The meaning behind "Be still", is the notion of being weak and not an inability sort of way but a recognition that God is powerful, and in control of all things. We achieve this better when we spend a time with no distractions, no emails, text messages, tweets, calls, whatever it may be. Spending time in solitude with God is refreshing, restorative, and flat out awesome.
Lately to counter act my digital culture, I have been spending time getting up early to watch the sun rise and praying. Its relaxing and extremely productive in my busy schedule. Its followed by a time in the Psalms, reading, reflecting and praying on the things that God continues to work on me, and praising Him for simply being my God.
The Psalms alone mention meditation or musing over God's work or his law over 16 times!
Here is just two:
Psalm 1:2: "
Blessed is the one....
but whose delight is in the law of the LORD,
and who meditates on his law day and night.
Psalm 77:12: "
I will consider all your works
and meditate on all your mighty deeds.”
Psalm 119 has meditation on God's law, work, decrees, precepts, 8 times!
What are you currently doing to experience solitude? Are you able to have a time of stillness, to be restored or filled up in His glory and peace? Feel free to share in the comments section.
Be Blessed.
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