And So We Begin...

So here it is: While wasting time in a Barnes and Noble last night before a movie, I stumbled upon this little gem: "Unplug Everyday: 365 Ways to Log Off and Live Better". For some reason I picked it up and immediately I knew that it was something I needed in my life.

We live in what Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI said in his 2009 World Communications Day Message a "digital continent". We as the faithful need to be able to spread the ever ancient message of the beautiful gospels while finding new ways to reach the masses. People are no longer checking out books from the library as their only source of information. While it used to be that our teens would come to youth group on Sunday night after seeing the blurb about it in the Church bulletin, now youth ministers have to make sure that they tweet, instagram a cool graphic, post it on their facebook page and use whatever latest and greatest app to get the word out.

We live in an increasingly digital world. When you can send a small video camera up in the air in a remote control plane and take movie quality video, you know times have changed. We can control our house alarm and air condition from our smart phones. Heck, there's not much we can't do from these, our little personal addictions.

Have you ever misplaced your phone? What about the feeling you get when you're out somewhere and your phone dies? Those moments leading up to the inevitable as you watch it slowly drain knowing that there's nothing you can do about it. You don't have your charger and even if you did, there's no plug in site. What is going on? Doesn't this building know that we are living in 2015? Who didn't install more plugs in this place?!?! So you desperately do one more Google search. You make sure to refresh your Facebook page just one more time in hopes that at least you'll be up to speed on your stalker status.

Often times I think of what would happen if the Zombie apocalypse came about and the power were to go out. Think about all the things we digitally rely on. Just sit where you are and look around. Count the things that run on energy. Do it...I'll wait...






If I think too hard about it my brain starts to hurt! Most times I don't get past the question, "Where does all this power actually come from?" I don't know. I study religion not electricity.

So, at least a couple of times a week I am going to find a small way to unplug. A way to better appreciate this digital continent that we live on. A way to better connect to the people who inhabit it with me and hopefully a way to better connect with my God.

I'll post the challenge of the day, a small reflection and hopefully a picture or two along the way. I hope that you can do some of these challenges for yourself as well. Let me know what happens when you go off the grid.