Shifting the blame

Often we make others responsible for our listening skills – or lack of them. We expect them to hold our attention; we expect others not to distract us. But in an increasingly distracted world, is it feasible for us to shift the blame indefinitely? To expect our attention to be held and maintained by others – or we simply won’t listen?

I’m wondering: how do we make an effort to pay attention in a distracted world? Do we need to take more responsibility for our own listening skills?  How much time can we justify spending grumbling about ‘the way things are’?

Training the brain

The digital age is changing the way our brains work.  Do we simply embrace it, ignore it, grumble about it, but do nothing? Or do we try to re-train our brains within this age, learning to use the benefits but not allowing them to use us? Do we consciously adapt and re-adapt to the fast moving world around us – without being ruled by it?

It may not be ideal. It might not even be fair. But if we want to live, learn and thrive in this environment, we will need to do some adapting. There’s only so much leaning on the stable door we can do when the horse gallops merrily around us

What’s your point?

We may need to make an effort to pay attention. Attentiveness is essential to learning and remembering. We may need to learn to resist the time stealers and the attention stealers, while embracing the things that help us learn and listen (these will be different for each individual). We may need to instil new disciplines, curb our complaining and get on with it.

So often I blame my lack of discipline and my poor attention span on the world around me. Some of it may be justified, but that doesn’t help me.  I need to learn to be disciplined and attentive within this world.

That’s the challenge I face.

Image courtesy of Ohmega1982 / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Deuteronomy is a book of remembering.

For starters, it’s a recap of all that’s gone before – reminding Israel of recent events and God’s commandments.  But within this reminding comes the command to remember – to continue to remember. Memory is essential to Israel’s identity – she’s to remember where she came from, who called her and redeemed her, who it is she is called to follow and obey.

As part of my own exploration of faith and memory, it’s become clear to me that in biblical passages the call to remember – not to forget – God is not to do with lip service or occasional mental recall when necessary. Remembering God is to live his ways and enact his calling on our lives.

The faithlessness of forgetfulness

I ask the question – what does it really mean to remember God? Conversely, what does it mean to forget God? Because forgetfulness was a chronic condition for ancient Israel, and it’s a chronic condition for us today. Forgetfulness means faithlessness – turning away from the one true God and putting other idols and other practises in his place.

The power of recall

God, in Deuteronomy, cautions his people not to forget his ways. Not to forget his commandments. Not to forget where they came from.

Because their memories told them who they were.

Their memories told them how they should live.

And their memories told them about him and what he had done on behalf.

Something incredible has been done on our behalf, too – with a far greater impact than the ancient exodus from Egypt. Do we remember it as often as we should?

The language of business and marketing pervades our society.

But I refuse to do business with God.

I do not see God as my business manager; I do not see him is as a colleague and certainly not as a client. I do not do business with God because I don’t believe God is business-like. I don’t think he keeps statistics charts of my progress or has a ‘God-le’ calendar of engagements. I don’t think he regularly expects ‘appraisals’ to be conducted by specially assigned angels.

I don’t do business with God, and I don’t believe God does business with me.

I believe God relates to me at a heart-deep, mind-deep level. I believe he’s relational, unpredictable, immeasurable, unnerving, beautiful…

I don’t believe he fits inside our boxes, however smart the packaging, however splendid the bow.

I don’t believe he fits into what we assume – or would ‘like’ – him to be. I don’t believe God conforms to us or our sensibilities.

I love him, fear him, am frequently confused by him, chase after him, sense him chasing me…

Whatever else he may be, he isn’t business-like.

Which makes me wonder who we are reflecting when we make faith an act of business, church a place of business, theology an area of business. Or when we imply they are things to be sold.

Do we refuse to do business with God?

ACW and the BIGBible project are launching a blog post writing competition on the theme of Christian Writing in a Digital Age. The competition will launch on July 1st 2013.

Entrants should write a blog post reflecting on the theme of no more than 450 words. Each post should include something to do with writing, something to do with faith and something to do with the digital age.

After July 1st, entries should be emailed to competitions@christianwriters.org.uk.

They will be uploaded to a specially designed blog page where readers can comment on the posts. Anonymity is not necessary and posts will display the name of the entrant (unless the entrant desires otherwise).

Emails should contain the name and contact details of the entrant, plus title of the blog post. Only one entry per person. Entry is free.

Deadline is October 7th 2013. Shortlisting and judging will take place after this date.

There will be 1st, 2nd and 3rd prizes and two runners up. Information re. prizes to be confirmed.

MORE INFORMATION

Entrants can interpret the theme in whatever way they see fit; however ideas/inspiration could include things like:

• how we express ourselves in a Christ-like way online
• the opportunities and drawbacks in a digital world for spreading the good news by writing
• is there a ‘Christian ethic’ of writing – and how does this apply to blogging, tweeting,  facebooking etc?
• what style of writing is tweeting and facebooking? How do we apply the writers’ craft to this – or do we?
• what makes a good writer? How is this different (if it is different) from writing prior to the digital age?
• what about ‘text’ and ‘tweet’ speak? Do we love it or hate it? Digital jargon – does it obscure our meaning?
• what is a ‘Christian’ writer? Is it someone who writes Christian content? Or someone who has a Christian faith and is also a writer? Do we have a responsibility to embody our faith in an age where little remains hidden?

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We’re all so different, and yet coming together we make something wonderful.

After lots of things being done in the last couple of weeks, I gave myself today to have some time to replenish. Trouble is, we get accustomed to busyness, don’t we? Today’s stillness feels…odd.

But I’ve been thinking about the events of Holy Week – this was a busy, busy time leading to an apparent ending of the story – the violence of the cross.

Today – ‘Holy Saturday’ – was a stunned, grieving darkness. Suddenly everything had gone, had stopped. How were they – the followers of Jesus – to adapt? Frightened, alone. Guilty and ashamed – they had run from him; some had even denied him.

Today is not a comfortable day.  And we live much of our lives in it – the in-between, the waiting.

And yet we know the story has not ended. We know that glory is coming – beauty and surprise and wonder. That we are not alone. That the Holy Spirit whispers to us of a greater reality.

Be still, be still, and wait for him.

He comes with the morning.

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Image by Stushie http://www.stushieart.com