As you may have guessed from the last post, Liann and I are back in Denver. The last few weeks have been a bit of a whirlwind of activity, spotty internet access, busyness, and lack of electrical power. I feel like we are finally learning to live in a bus but that also means we are learning to live without things like the internet being readily available.
But that struggle has made us think, particularly about how we live our lives and spend ourselves when things are more “normal.” We are becoming more aware of the fact that there is something about the way our “modern” lives are structured that makes it very easy to not pay attention to what we are doing and why we are doing it.
In regards to the internet, I have found that the earlier I sit down in front of a computer on any particular day has a direct correlation to the amount of time I waste in that day. And the thing about it is, I usually don’t even know why I visit the specific sites that I do. I don’t ever bother to stop myself and ask, “why am I here?” or “what is this accomplishing?”
Sometimes the answer to these questions has to do with how my brain is being affected, sometimes it is about how the resource of my time is being spent, sometimes it is about what companies I am supporting.
I am increasingly convinced that we need to ask ourselves these questions to discover what lay below not only the action of “surfing the internet,” but also buying new clothes or buying a lot of electrical power from a company. Why am I doing this? What is it accomplishing? How are the companies I am giving my resources to using those resources? Are they taking advantage of people and using sweatshops? Are they burning tremendous amounts of coal? Are they putting smaller, more local shops out of business? Are they using natural resources to make a bunch of stuff that doesn’t really benefit the world at all? Are the donating huge sums to pass pet legislation that I cannot support?
Are we willing to ask these questions? Are we willing to deal with the answers?
I thought of you two today, while at work. We had a group of Amish tour the village. They were very approachable, and one of our interpreters asked them what the reason was for the very strict separation of the sexes while in church, expecting to get an explanation based on their belief system. The answer was: that’s the way we’ve always done it. Now, I find a lot to admire in the Amish, but I have a problem with doing something for no greater reason than “that’s the way it’s always been”.
Good point Mom. Tradition for tradition’s sake is a really easy trap to fall into because “the way it’s always been” doesn’t require intellectual hard work. I’d imagine that at some point there was a good reason for anything that becomes a tradition but I would think that what ought to be passed on as of most importance is the value instead of the action that is meant to protect that value.
G.K. Chesterton had some good words about tradition, likening it to a gate. Sometimes, he said, the gate needs to be torn down, but only once we’ve understood why it was put there in the first place and if it is still necessary. Some people seem to hang on either extreme – 1. tear the gate down because tradition is by nature bad or 2. protect the gate at all costs because tradition is by nature good.
Anyway, to the point of your post…Jess and I have been asking a lot of those questions…and getting a few good answers…but in many cases the asking is the most important part because the answers (in my opinion) are never static. Therefore the asking sets us forth on a journey of ups and downs that, in the end, is always worthwhile. Also, I think that the Noble Eightfold Path of the Buddha can be of help in directing us to the kind of questions we should be asking.
Peace,
Tim
I’ve been trying to think of it in terms of how is this furthering the cause we’ve been called to? Meaning; the Kingdom of God.
But those are great questions Josh.
On a more personal note, I sit in front of a PC all day, every day. The questions you’re asking are very valid and I’ve had to wrestle with them a lot.
I manage a call center for a distribution company, and now and then we have a goodly amount of time between phone calls. It helps me to keep my Bible open and near me, or some good book or whatever… maybe a prayer list and such to remind me that I don’t need to be scouring movie sites or whatever with time that rightfully belongs to my Father in heaven. Besides, wandering usually will get me stuck on something I don’t want to be, whether I mean to or not.
Jesus only did what He saw the Father doing. If we’d think about that, before everything, it would help us a whole lot. Are we doing what the Father is doing?
I like it when you write Josh…
Good insight John, the kingdom of God is definitely what it is about for me at its root. Sometimes we just need to start asking really obnoxious questions of ourselves to even figure out what furthering God’s work looks like. Great to hear from you by the way!
Tim, talk to me about the connection to the eight fold path a little more please.
I’m glad to have found your blog man!
My wife stumbled on it. She had been thinking about you and found it on your facebook.