Close to the Heart

Scripture
The seeds that fell among the thorns represent those who hear the message, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the cares and riches and pleasures of this life. And so they never grow into maturity.  And the seeds that fell on the good soil represent honest, good-hearted people who hear God’s word, cling to it, and patiently produce a huge harvest. (Luke 8:14,15 NLT)

Close to the Heart
The Attention Merchants is a sobering history of advertising and commerce driven communication. It isn’t a screed against technology but a quiet warning about how our lives can be overwhelmed with technology’s easy access. Here’s a quote I found helpful; “What is called for might be termed a human reclamation project. For comparison, consider the sort of effort undertaken to reclaim some (other) natural resource, as when returning the land under an abandoned parking lot to wilderness. Over the coming century, the most vital human resource in need of conservation and protection is likely to be our own consciousness and mental space.” (The Attention Merchants Tim Wu, Knopf)

Even reading this – possibly you’ve pulled your smart phone from your pocket as you check in – can be part of distracting us from the core of our being. In his book, Wu makes the case that we are bringing the intrusions of market driven communication closer and closer to our bodies.

Perhaps as we enter Holy Week, we can take a few minutes of silence, refrain from the stimulus and addiction of media noise and hear the quiet. In the quiet we may realize that God is present and wanting to communicate with us. The noise chokes off that communication of love that frees us to be most fruitfully human.

A Prayer for Today
Loving God, there are days when I feel like I’m paved over, impervious to spiritual nourishment.Plow me up , help me find ways to be quiet in your presence. You are always present but my awareness needs tuning up this Holy Week. Let me walk with you in your suffering as I do the work I’m given to do ..…. For Jesus’ sake