Notes from the book:
Jesus did not have a lot to say
specifically about hurry, busyness and distraction, but there is one narrative
n the Gospels that deals directly with these problems: the stories of the
sisters Martha and Mary (Luke 10:40). Being overcommitted, too busy and
preoccupied are not new to contemporary society.[1]
Economist and writer Jeremy Rifkin puts a finger on the problem of speed: “It
is ironic that in a culture so committed to saving time we feel increasingly
deprived of the very thing we value… Despite our alleged efficiency… we seem to
have less time for ourselves and far less time for each other… We have
quickened the pace of life only to become less patient. We have become more
organised but less spontaneous, less joyful. We are better prepared to act on
the future but less able to enjoy the present and reflect on the past.” How did
we get into this predicament?[2]
The clock was invented by monks. Apparently
they had a lot of time on their hands. They invented the clock because they
wanted to regulate their times of prayer and labour. The notion that “idleness
is the enemy of the soul” became pervasive in the monasteries. The monks felt
that hard work was a way to serve God. But we cannot blame them for our
obsession with speed. Technology is at fault. With the invention of the machine
a whole new approach to work and productivity emerged. The machine is a model
of efficiency: it works ceaselessly and tirelessly until it breaks down.[3]
The unintentional consequences of such invention is, we “invented the machine
and then took it as its life model.” Then Frederick Wilson Taylor changed the
narrative even further: he broke down every job into a series of tasks and
timed workers as they performed these tasks. He then tried to find ways to
perform the tasks more efficiently: he called it “the system.” The workers
hated the system but productivity soared. Taylor wrote these chilling words in
his 1911 treatise ‘The Principles of Scientific Management’: “In the past, man
has been first, in the future, the system must be first.”[4]
There is a new phenomenon called
“omni-tasking.” Omni-taskers believe that they can do more than a few things at
once; they do nearly everything at once! We are guilty of this problem in our
churches. Many Christians attribute their lack of margin to being overtasked by
their churches. With a slight twist, churches sometimes operate under the Fred
Taylor narrative: the church is more important than the person! Some committed
Christian women and men were burned out by being overextended by their
churches. Because they did things well, they were asked to be on more church
committees and to help with more church programs. They became so busy that they
finally collapsed. Satan does not always appear as a red devil. Sometimes he
simply inserts false narrative (achievement equals value) into our minds.[5]
No one can save time; we can only spend it.
We cannot put time in a bottle and use it later. Technology does reduce the
time we have to spend on certain tasks. Where did the extra time go?[6]
All these technological advances have raised the expectations of what we can
get done, so we added more to our schedule. We increase our workload to keep up
with or get ahead of others. If we fail to raise the bar, we will fall behind,
be less productive and thus feel less important.[7]
There most important aspects of our lives
cannot be rushed. We cannot love, think, eat, laugh or pray in a hurry. Taking
time is especially important in our spiritual lives: in our spiritual life we
cannot do anything important in a hurry.[8]
Jesus gives us the best example of a well-paced life. In the Gospels we see
Jesus retreating to be alone (nine times in the Gospel of Luke alone). Jesus
lives his life in perfect rhythm, the proper tempo, at all times. He will not
be rushed. He never does anything in haste.[9]
It is possible to act quickly without
hurrying. The author says if he only has ten minutes to get from one end of the
airport to another, he can move quickly without hurrying. Hurry is an inner
condition that is fear based: “If I don’t make my plane everything will be
ruined. Life as I know it is over!” But then he walk in step with God and
learned to say, “If I don’t make that plane I’ll be fine. God is with me.
Things will work out. Meanwhile, I’ll move my legs as fast as I can while my
heart is happy and unhurried.” Carl Jung said, “Hurry, it is not of the Devil;
it is the Devil.”[10]
As authors Richard Bailey and Joseph
Carlson explain, “Life is really nothing more than a series of present moments,
one right after the other, to be experienced. You are always living in this
moment: will you be present or absent?” (Isn’t it ironic that the word present
is the word we use for gift?)[11]
The author realised that not only does he
need to slow down to grow in his spiritual life, he also need to realise that
spiritual growth is a slow process. Making pickles is an apt analogy to the way
we grow as disciples. To make a pickle, there needs to be a cucumber soaked in
the brine and vinegar solution for six weeks.[12]
Spiritual renewal is a gradual process, and in addition to being slow, it is
not uniform. Some years we may experience tremendous growth, and some we see
very little change.[13]
The author has been working on replacing false narratives with the narratives
of Jesus for well over twenty-five years, and yet he remains a work in
progress.[14]
Reflections:
The first part of the chapter explores how
our view of time evolved into “tyranny of the urgent” and even regarding
humanity as a machine designed to produce tasks with efficiency.[15]
The medical profession seem to encourage
efficiency and accuracy. In fact, it even seems to encourage
obsessive-compulsiveness. Being a doctor, sometimes I can get so busy that I
feel as though I am turning into a machine. And with the aging population, the
health system is getting overloaded and the trend is likely to get worse. Sometimes
I am afraid of getting too emotionally attached to the people I encounter
because it produces an emotional burden. Yet, sometimes when I switch off the
emotional button, it can be hard to switch it back on during times meant for
family and friends. This seem to improve when I intentionally slow down, spend
quiet time with God, in self-reflection, catch up with some friends, appreciating
nature and even going on holidays. And this is something I am still adjusting
in my life, especially on the areas of love and patience.
Bibliography:
Smith, James Bryan.The Good and Beautiful God. London:
Hodder and Stoughton, 2010.
Wang, Ying-fan Yvonne. Dr Yvonne Wang’s
Blabberings. Last modified May 23, 2015. http://dryvonnewang.blogspot.com.au.
[1]James Bryan Smith, The Good
and Beautiful God,(London: Hodder and Stoughton, 2010): 172.
[2]Smith, The Good and Beautiful
God, 174.
[3]Smith, The Good and Beautiful
God, 175.
[4]Smith, The Good and Beautiful
God, 176.
[5]Smith, The Good and Beautiful
God, 177.
[6]Smith, The Good and Beautiful
God, 178.
[7]Smith, The Good and Beautiful
God, 179.
[8]Smith, The Good and Beautiful
God, 180.
[9]Smith, The Good and Beautiful
God, 181.
[10]Smith, The Good and Beautiful
God, 183.
[11]Smith, The Good and Beautiful
God, 185.
[12]Smith, The Good and Beautiful
God, 185.
[13]Smith, The Good and Beautiful
God, 186.
[14]Smith, The Good and Beautiful
God, 187.
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