The Art of Distraction

I am a professional Christian teacher. Some call this endeavor pastoring. My job is to present the truths of a victorious faith to those who are under my care and tutelage, in order for those truths to become a part of my flock’s spiritual growth. Teaching is fun and I enjoy the challenge of expression with purpose.

I have seen, however, in the context of my craft, a growing trend of distraction and its burgeoning art forms. I know I am not alone. This trend is not only being revealed in the context of worship services, but also within the context of every aspect of life. This distraction has caused deaths, terminations of jobs, miscommunication at multiple levels and, as lowly as it may seem, loss of understanding concerning the truths of God for His children to live victorious lives. We are the most connected, and yet, disconnected generation that the earth has known.

We can check our stock portfolio in a few seconds through the wizardry of our smart phones, along with reviewing our calendars, emails, facebook, twitter, and, yes, even call a friend (or screen them when they call us). We have become intoxicated with the opportunities to electronically “plugin” to the world around us. Yet in the process of such a high level of connectedness, I have observed the loss of silence, the loss of reflection and even the loss of connectedness with persons in the same room. Somehow we have fallen victim to the tyranny of the ringtone.

Inherently we know this is not right. We know that we should be concentrating on the person before us, what they are saying, why they are saying it and how we might be important to them or the context. Yet when the bells ring or the ever distinctive ringtones start, we ask for privilege, for pardon, for time to let the caller, the texter, the reason for the interruption to take precedent over the living, breathing human with whom we were connecting. We have begun to celebrate our phones over and against the delight of real live human interaction.

It has become so prevalent that conversation with God (prayer) is often temporarily suspended when the smart phone issues its call to the increasingly unbridled desires of our hearts. It is not God who loses out in this drama. If our phones were so smart, how come that can’t tell WE ARE TALKING WITH THE KING OF THE UNIVERSE? What is also quite interesting is our ability to disguise our distractions while seeming to do these most important things, like praying.

It is illegal to drive while texting, so we hold our phones low, below the level of the door window frame. While in school we play angry birds under the desk, out of sight of the teacher who is earnestly guiding the young mind into a higher education. And at church with our Bibles open (perhaps even to the appropriate place in the sermon), we hold it at an angle to cover the action of a multiple level complaint about the sermon and the preacher to whom they are not listening, along with the other participants of their text complaint. The art of these exercises is astonishing.

I am a someone who has been called to communicate wonderful truths, yet I grieve for the art that is killing the potential of the church. I am not a fatalist, however. I still hope for some success in the midst of the distraction. That is still my purpose.

Got to go, my phone is ringing.