Most probably the inventors of the
internet‚ which modestly started as a small information sharing
network‚ did not hope‚ even in their wildest dreams‚ that in
less than 50 years their invention will evolve into what is today the greatest
information exchange that ever existed. The library of Alexandria? Child play!
Think about all that goes through the internet today:
websites‚ e-mail‚ news‚ TV‚ social
networks‚ entertainment‚ financials‚ do-it-yourself‚ phone
calls‚ video calls‚ encyclopedias‚ e-books‚ maps and we’re
just scratching the surface. All you want is there waiting to be found at the
literal touch of a finger. Nobody asks anyone anything before
they “google” the information.
With an
internet connection at hand one feels like a kid in a toy store‚ always
ready to engage and discover. You wake up in the morning and the first thing
you do is check your phone. Did I miss anything while I was asleep? How is the
stock market doing? Any emergencies at work? How are my friends on
Facebook‚ any silly selfies? Did anyone like my Instagram? How many likes
did I get? We walk like zombies with our eyes glued to our smartphones even
before we had the chance to get a cup of coffees. And who invented the rule
that you can’t text and drive? Was it not enough that you can’t drink and
drive? Lucky enough there are the red lights‚ where everyone checks what
happened in the last three minutes from the previous red light. You don’t
believe me? Look around next time you’re at a red light‚ that is if you’re
not on your phone.
This avalanche
of information about everything and anything has turned all of us into
information junkies. We constantly check our phones waiting for the next piece
of news or conversation to pop out. We live and breathe information. There is
only one downside to this addiction‚ we start having less and less time.
Paradoxically‚ when we can find anything quicker than ever‚ we end up
having less time than ever. Work doesn’t get finished‚ conversations‚ unless
virtual‚ are on the brink of extinction‚ human interactions are a
bare because they take you away from the urge to know everything right now!
Where does
this knowledge lead us to? One May say that if we search for the right
information it is a good thing. Say one is interested in God; using just a
smartphone one can find all the translations of the Bible ever
imagined‚ all the writings of the Fathers‚ one can ask for spiritual
advice online or even virtually attend a streamed Sunday service. Many times
however we remain at the level of the search. Mesmerized of the information
about the faith we don’t have time anymore to actually live the faith. With so
many virtual prayers books available we find no time to pray.
Having
knowledge about God however does not mean one knows God. God is not in the
information about Him. To know God is to be with Him‚ to experience the
unmediated communion with Him. Knowledge is good only if it leads to
action‚ knowledge without action is useless or even plain dangerous. Adam
and Eve knew that they would die if they ate from the tree‚ yet they got
tempted with the promise of even more knowledge. They knew enough to keep them
in communion with God‚ to live forever in bliss without lacking anything‚ yet
they wanted more and in that temptation they lost paradise. Sometimes knowing
more‚ especially before time‚ can lead us astray from practicing what
we already do know. Our Christian forefathers have survived the Turks and the
communists and everything else that stood against them not because they knew
everything about God and their faith‚ but because they took the time to
apply what they already knew in every moment of their lives.
We should not
understand all this as a rebellion against knowledge and an invitation to
obscurantism‚ but as a warning against the mirage of “knowing it
all” that can be all consuming. Taking time for personal prayer‚ to
physically be in church‚ to visit a friend in the hospital‚ to feed
the hungry where they live‚ will help us more in discovering God thank
accessing raw information about Him. Knowing the Scriptures and the theology is
fine‚ but God is not a theoretical Being‚ He is a real Trinity of
Divine Persons that interact with each other and with us. From this interaction
we learn Who He is and who we are; by doing‚ by loving‚ by being
together‚ now and into eternity.
A story from
the monks of Egypt speaks about three brothers that were occasionally visiting
an elder. Two of them always took advantage of the visits and had many
questions to ask. The third one always just sat with them‚ asking nothing.
After a few visits the elder asked him directly ‘Don’t you have any
questions? Don’t you want to know more?’ The brother answered ‘For me
is enough to be in your presence’. In the era of free but overwhelming
information‚ we should consider taking the advice of the wise brother and‚
maybe‚ from time to time‚ just break free from the internet and
acknowledge the presence of God around us. Share a cup of tea with a
friend‚ watch a child at play‚ listen to a bird’s
song‚ and‚ by taking this time to think about God‚ you might be
able to hear God knocking at the door of your heart.
Source: http://dialogues.stjohndfw.info/2014/05/free-time-and-information-overload/
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