By The Way: An invitation to pay attention
By Jeff Decelle on July 9, 2022.
How’s your attention span? I sit and read a book, but stop after a few paragraphs and mindlessly reach for my phone (hoping against hope that something new is happening). I try to concentrate on the person speaking in my online meeting, but that little red circle pops-up like a beacon compelling me to look my latest message. If you are like me, you might blame yourself for being so distractible. Or you might curmudgeonly shake your fist at how our attention spans are so shot. I am old enough to remember when we weren’t tethered to our phones – because they were tethered to the kitchen wall; and when the internet was a novelty, and no one worried about not being connected to it all the time. We blame ourselves but our devices work against us. They are designed to steal our attention and make us want to pick them up. Doomscrolling gives our brains a hit of “feel-good” hormones at the possibility of something new and exciting. Our screens tire us out. All is not lost, though. I am learning to think of my attention like a muscle that can be grown through practice. Distractions can be minimized. Notifications can be silenced. Apps can be placed on time limits. I keep my device where I can’t reach it easily. I sometimes even turn it off! Faith finds meaning in paying attention – being attentive to God, to the earth around us, to our neighbours. Psalm 25 prays for this posture of attention: “Show me your ways, O Lord, and teach me your paths.” Summer with its looser schedules and times of rest, can invite us into this practice. Close your eyes, listen to the birds singing and feel the warm breezes; put your feet up with a book and savour the words; catch up with a friend, and delight in the conversation. These are all gifts to the soul! By Rev. Jeff Decelle 8-7
