Overloaded

I've noticed that I'm not quite as good at returning messages as I was a year ago. I've also noticed that many of my friends and other people I know have also gotten worse. Part of it must be the multiple channels through which we communicate with each other. I have three email accounts, three phone numbers and, at least nominally, a Facebook account. I also text people from time to time on my cell.

And I'm not unusual. I could do twitter I suppose and certainly there are many who engage other social media in a lot more depth.

At first, as I noticed this pattern, my frustration level got pretty high. I felt like there must be something I could do better- some skill or organizing system that would help me stay on top of it all.

But in the last few weeks I've taken a more relaxed attitude. Playing constant catch up with the all the media and all the information is a loser's game, at least for me. I'm trying to take more the attitude of a surfer, to just ride it all and accept that I will fall from time to time, amybe often, and that there will be waves that I miss.

I believe in pendulums. When things swing hard one way, there is something in us that wants to go just as far in the opposite direction. So silent prayer to start my day has taken on more significance and my hunger for it has only deepened. I have also found in the last few years that I have a desire to read longer books. If I'm going to be reading and concentrating on something, I want it to be as coherent and demanding of sustained attention as the world I'm living in fragmented and rewarding of ADD.

I imagine our community centered Christian lives as a kind of firm, deep rooted witness of a different way of life. A life where we take significant time to be with each other and to be still and know that God is God. I know that's what I'm hungry for.