About a month ago, a friend of mine sent me an article on the “Slow Down Culture” of Europe. This article describes how some European countries are starting to practise a slow down culture. This is not a culture where we slow down in work or productivity but more of a change of mindset and way of living.
The article also says, “Globalised processes have caused in us (all over the world) a general sense of searching for immediate results. We have come to possess a need to see immediate results.
“Nowadays, there's a movement in Europe named Slow Food. This movement establishes that people should eat and drink slowly, with enough time to taste their food, spend time with the family, friends, without rushing. Slow Food is against its counterpart: the spirit of Fast Food and what it stands for as a lifestyle. Slow Food is the basis for a bigger movement called Slow Europe, as mentioned by Business Week.”
This article reminds me of a story that I read many, many years go. In this story, this man always plans what to do next, never enjoying or savouring what he was doing. When he got up, he was already planning what to eat for breakfast. While at breakfast, he was already thinking what time the train would arrive. While on the train ride, he was already thinking of what he needs to do at the office and so on. Then came the came the day of his death. As he lay on the death bed, he realised that he spent his whole life living in the future and never in the present. His only regret was that he never took time to smell the roses or enjoy a train ride.
Why do I relate this story and article? We live in a society that is always moving and doing things. Not doing anything is seen as a sign of non - productivity and therefore a waste of time. In this modern day and age, we always tend to associate time with work or activity. We seem to have lost the art of relaxing and recreation. Even during our so called holiday or vacation, we are always doing something, shopping, reading etc. Very few of us will actually “do nothing” during our down time.
It takes a lot of faith to be non productive. But what the world sees as non productive can be productive. I’m saying this because it is during our period of non productivity that we recharge. It is during this period that we learn to relax and let our bodies and mind rest. It is during this time that we allow God to come in into our busy life.
We will not notice the presence of God when we are constantly doing things and being busy. On the other hand, we need to be productive and doing things because idle minds are also dangerous. This is the challenge that face us – to find the balance between doing and being.
We’re always in the future and forgetting the present that we never find the time to really enjoy the present. Even for me, it is constantly a challenge to be in the present because my mind constantly plans my next action.
While it is true that God is the God of the past, present and future, we are not. We cannot be in all places at one time. And the only place where God can truly be with us is during the present. But are we present to God? It goes both ways, we need to be present to God in order for God to be present to us.
Are we going to continue to live our lives living in the future, or are we going to be in the present and enjoy the many beautiful things that God has bestowed upon us? The present is the present simply because it is a gift to us. Are we going to cherish that gift or just neglect it? Only we can answer that question and only we can make that choice.
No comments:
Post a Comment