Chances are that if you look down at your wrist you will find a watch. A sophisticated device that has the sole task of dividing up our day into hours, minutes and even seconds. You make appointments, set schedules, and define the routine of your day by that little ticking wonder. You look at it to see if you can squeeze in a coffee with a friend before your next scheduled appointment or class. But did you ever stop to think about the origin of time? How did we so drastically change our method of dividing up the day from following the sun and the moon to that of a little ticking device you can take everywhere with you. I think it has been a great detriment to our mental state! Having to schedule and plan every moment of every day makes us burn out and feel as if we have no time to ourselves, no time for personal reflection, personal and corporate prayer, and simply following the rhythms of our own bodies. Try taking off your watch for a weekend and live by the watch on the other side of your wrist – the one that pumps blood through your body, the one that follows how you feel instead of how you have programmed your day. I did that once a couple of years ago, and now, I rarely if ever put on my watch on now. I’ve found myself to be much happier in the process. There are still clocks everywhere, on the walls, laptops and radio in the car, but to not have that little thing ticking out my life living on my wrist has been a very liberating experience. I feel free to take a few moments here and there in prayer. I feel able to walk a little slower in order to enjoy the walk simply because it is sunny. I feel able to walk a little slower and enjoy the rain, the smell of the damp earth and bask in the glory of God’s creation. Strange that with all of the advances out there the most liberating thing I could do was to get rid of one.
Sunday, March 12, 2006
Time
Chances are that if you look down at your wrist you will find a watch. A sophisticated device that has the sole task of dividing up our day into hours, minutes and even seconds. You make appointments, set schedules, and define the routine of your day by that little ticking wonder. You look at it to see if you can squeeze in a coffee with a friend before your next scheduled appointment or class. But did you ever stop to think about the origin of time? How did we so drastically change our method of dividing up the day from following the sun and the moon to that of a little ticking device you can take everywhere with you. I think it has been a great detriment to our mental state! Having to schedule and plan every moment of every day makes us burn out and feel as if we have no time to ourselves, no time for personal reflection, personal and corporate prayer, and simply following the rhythms of our own bodies. Try taking off your watch for a weekend and live by the watch on the other side of your wrist – the one that pumps blood through your body, the one that follows how you feel instead of how you have programmed your day. I did that once a couple of years ago, and now, I rarely if ever put on my watch on now. I’ve found myself to be much happier in the process. There are still clocks everywhere, on the walls, laptops and radio in the car, but to not have that little thing ticking out my life living on my wrist has been a very liberating experience. I feel free to take a few moments here and there in prayer. I feel able to walk a little slower in order to enjoy the walk simply because it is sunny. I feel able to walk a little slower and enjoy the rain, the smell of the damp earth and bask in the glory of God’s creation. Strange that with all of the advances out there the most liberating thing I could do was to get rid of one.
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1 comment:
Howdy. I've heard other people say that removing their watch was a liberating experience. I've forgotten my watch a few times and, sadly, all I experienced was panic from not knowing what time it was! I think that's the definition of anal retentive, which I am in spades...or perhaps OCD, which I certainly hope I'm not.
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