I'm trying to think of a more "counter-cultural" message than Slow/Silence/Solitude.
I'm trying to think of a topic that I have taught on and not lived out more than this one...hmm.
I think I've come to the conclusion that nobody like to be told to slow down, especially me. Remember the public pool in the summer time? What an exciting time WALKING from diving board to diving board!! UGHH The teenage lifeguard screaming at you "NO RUNNING ON THE DECK"
Timeout: we have a pleasant interruption at the Raven's Nest coffee shop from my friend Sam the Therapist. Here are his remarks on slowing down. He was saying that Henri Nouwen claims there are more "words" in this era than any other. Words on billboards, walls, signs....everywhere. It's not as much that our bodies are busy, but our minds are inundated with words. Because of this, words have lost their potency.
Nate's conclusion- I was told as a little boy that I had 2 ears and one mouth for a reason....to listen twice as much as I speak. Here's my prayer: slow me down Lord, slow me down. Help me to hear your voice amongst all the noise I have created. amen
1 comment:
I latched on to the word 'noise' in your end quote. Whether we are naturally fast paced (that would be you Nate), slower sorts (I like to poke the fire), busier than we want to be (most of us) or bored (don't know many), what kind of noise do we each want to make in our lives? If we try to find a balance of activity that feels right for us and the people who live/work/interact with us then let's make the noise we create meaningful, respectful, generous, and caring. Then we can each be our own personality type but our noise is worth listening to and encourages us all to be better people.
Love reading what you are both thinking. Keep it up!
Aunt Linda
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