Digital Diversions

There's a video that's been making the rounds on You Tube the last couple of weeks.  It shows a woman at a mall, leaving a store while texting on her cell phone.  She walks across the floor and directly into a fountain.  She falls right in.  She was oblivious to her surroundings, so intent on that tiny keyboard and screen.  There are a number of versions of the video, I've posted the shortest here.



I've been thinking about the fine metaphor this poor woman provides for us, especially us Christians.  So often we are sidetracked from what is really important by those things that don't really matter.  We miss so much because we are preoccupied with what we think is urgent.  We have our eyes focused on the  wrong things.

One of my favorite stories from scripture is Matthew 14:22 - 36, the story of Jesus walking on the water.  It's night and the disciples are in a boat.  The sea was rough, high winds and choppy waves.  Jesus suddenly appears walking on the water towards the boat.  The disciples at first think they're seeing a ghost, but Jesus told them not to be afraid, "It is I."

Peter said to Him, "Lord, if it's you, tell me to come to you on the water."  Jesus told him, "Come."  So Peter hopped out of the boat and started walking on the water toward Jesus.  But after a few steps Peter took his eyes off of Jesus and started looking at what he thought was urgent, the wind and waves and the fact that his feet were not on firm ground.  He started to sink.  "Lord, save me!" he cried out.  Jesus took him by the hand and they got back into the boat.

How often is that us?  Taking our eyes off of Jesus and what He's called us to do because we get distracted by the tempest going on around us?  My prayer today is that we keep our focus on the things that actually make a difference.

We'll be taking your calls on your experiences with digital diversions and how you keep your focus on that which matters.