Three Reasons It's Hard to Be Still (Pt. 3)

by

Vinita Hampton Wright

3. We have grown uncomfortable with any conditions that make us feel alone. We now have a wealth of electronic devices that help us stay in touch, share information, and communicate with lots of people in lots of places. These same devices make it possible for us never to have to spend a moment truly alone because we are just a Facebook post away from hundreds of friends. Even if no one responds to the text I just sent by smartphone, I still feel connected to the universe, simply because I have composed and posted something on the world’s bulletin board. Our devices have become our constant companions. Recently I read a lengthy article suggesting that our children are not learning how to be alone or how to be bored because they are constantly on electronic devices. It is not uncommon now to see children who do not know how to be alone or how to create entertainment from nothing but time and a little bit of space.

Adults, especially those of us past age 40, may not be quite so addicted to cyberspace, but some of us don’t know how to exist with our phones turned off—or with the television, radio, and computer turned off. I need sound in the room. I want company, even if it’s a TV rerun I’m barely listening to. I am used to some kind of chatter. Silence unnerves me. Silence signals that I am alone for the moment—and what must I face if the only company I have is myself?Before we can develop spiritual practices that require stillness and solitude, we must grapple with the various forms of resistance we have developed to fight the very stillness we need.

• What do you do to become still?

• When do you most need stillness and solitude?

• How do you deal with the ways you resist stillness?

From: www.ignatianspirituality.com

January 8, 2019