Scrolling by means of Twitter on my prepare commute residence, I stumbled on a photo of an odd-looking cellphone—matte black and paperwhite. A former coworker of mine had been utilizing the low-tech cellphone, known as a “Light Phone,” for about 12 months. I used to be fascinated as a result of I had been excited about ditching my smartphone altogether. The put up unintentionally revealed a felt want. After a number of days of watching product assessment movies, I positioned my order.
I purchased my first cellphone in my mid-30s once we moved to the New York Metropolis space 11 years in the past, the place I nonetheless work as a university professor. It was a “dumb cellphone” that lived largely in my backpack. I ultimately eased right into a refurbished iPhone about six years in the past. The iPhone ultimately moved from my backpack to my entrance left pocket. I by no means put social media apps on it—simply e mail and an online browser. Just lately, I added a senseless brick-smashing sport and used it usually to divert my consideration on the prepare experience residence.
I’m accustomed to the pangs of habit. I used to smoke two packs of cigarettes a day for ten years. In habit’s loving arms, I couldn’t go lengthy with out a hit. Fifteen or 20 minutes after my final drag, my anxieties would crescendo to a frenzied want for reduction. My whole being grew stressed till it discovered its relaxation in smoke—40 occasions a day. It was exhausting.
Making myself nonetheless, mentally or bodily, has all the time been arduous for me. I usually have many irons within the hearth. However sustaining the self-discipline of stillness requires a sure stage of safety with oneself and with God. My smartphone, however, provided an all-too-easy strategy to focus my fixed movement, with out actually slowing me down.
Scripture instructions weekly stillness—Sabbath. …
1
To proceed studying, subscribe now. Subscribers have full digital entry.
Already a CT subscriber? Log in for full digital entry.
