Day 13: Reflections on Sabbath
- Jim
- Feb 27, 2019
- 2 min read
This caught my attention yesterday while reading a Psychology Today article written by Neel Burton M.D. - Nov. 5, 2017 “According to a recent study, many people prefer to give themselves a mild electric shock than to sit in a room alone with their own thoughts.”
Needless to say, I was shocked (ha!) and suddenly I began to understand why the journey that Summit Ascent is offering is not one that will likely meet with popularity, at least not by the ones hypnotized by the internet and held captive by technology.
The article went on to say: “The internet has become the great comforter, and seems to offer it all: news, knowledge, music, entertainment, shopping, relationships and even sex. But over time it stokes envy and longing, confuses our needs and priorities, desensitizes us to violence and suffering, and, by creating a false sense of connectedness entrenches, superficial relationships at the cost of living ones.”
The hypnotic effect of technology as a way to avoid our own lives is paralyzing. The art of contemplation sadly seems to be becoming a lost one. Perhaps it is why so many people are so easily swayed by the other guys “fake news.” And why so many others are disillusioned by institutionalized religion. News sources and pulpits were never intended to take the place of personal conviction and spiritual experience.
People today complain about “tribalism,” but rarely have the courage to walk away from the tribe. They rarely really listen to what life has to say beyond their particular sphere of influence. We live in a noisy world and it requires an intentional act to quiet our minds and see things in a broader perspective. It is such a simple thing to seek Silence and Solitude (and it doesn’t cost a dime), but it is so counterculture to the bombastic clamor that we have created. Perhaps it is for times like these that we were reminded to quit ... take a day to listen ... put things in perspective ... and think for ourselves.
The word Sabbath, once you take all the religious ritual out of it, means simply “to quit.” To rediscover what that means I know I have to turn off the tech and seek Silence away from the other people. You see, being lonely has nothing to do with being alone.
The Psychology Today article went on to point out: “Man has evolved over several millennia into one of the most social and interconnected of all animals. Suddenly he finds himself apart and alone - not on a mountaintop or in a desert, but in a city of men - In reach, but out of touch.”
You can read the full article here: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/hide-and-seek/201711/the-joy-solitude
The Journey continues…
Comments