Walking Slow

We are always in a hurry.  People scurry to and from their jobs. We eat breakfast while answering emails, catching up on Facebook and talking on the cell phone at the same time.  Weekends are crammed with shopping at the grocery store and malls, rushing to pick up kids from sports, heading over to the gym for a quick workout and then hurrying to a party.  Sunday is often the busiest day of the week especially if church can be squeezed into the schedule.  The concept of Sabbath is foreign in this fast-paced society.

I have been guilty of this behavior which culminated in extreme exhaustion a few months ago.  I thought about a letter written to a friend by Father Charles Carpenter who lives in Mexico.  He wrote:  “We have to walk slowly, act slowly, think slowly, speak slowly, move slowly, etc.  Go about life in slow motion.  This is so important for conserving peace in the soul.”  He further advised:  “This is obtained by taking all the time necessary to live life tasting all the things God is giving us.  We need to read books slowly in order to appreciate them.  God never changes.”

It seems simple but is not easy.  I have to plan ahead so I have extra minutes to walk a little slower to the office or spend more time eating breakfast.  Old habits of eating, reading and talking at warp speed have been hard to break.  However, this week, I tried to slow down a little.  I was more aware of when I was moving too fast and told myself to slow down.  In addition, I stopped myself several times from multi-tasking.  Finally, I learned to reduce some of my activities.  I decided to stay home one night after being out the two previous nights.  Next week,  I will focus on eating slower which will be very challenging.    

One concern would be that slowing down is not efficient at work.  However, repeating oneself to be understood or starting over from a mistake is counter-productive.  Multi-talking can also lead to more errors and feeling tired by the end of the day.  So, slowing down can be more productive in the end as long as work is carefully planned to be done on time.  

When I wrote Father Carpenter for permission to quote his letter, he responded with even more intriguing ideas on walking slow.  He wrote that he discussed it with a priest who said Jesus was never in a hurry.  This is so true.  I do not remember Jesus ever telling people that he had to hurry to make an appointment to do a miracle in the next village.  In fact, Jesus took time off to pray.  The priest also told Father Carpenter that our hurry comes from original sin.  "We do not have control over time, only God does.   Our rest will come in the next life.  ('Rest in Peace' has a very deep theological meaning.)

He continued: "If work is not done in the spirit of Christ, it is a horrible form of slavery.  I know people whose lives, when they have deliberately turned their backs on God, are a total slavery to work.  They are activists and have made work a drug to which they are addicted.  As you may know, there is a website and 12-step group called Workaholics Anonymous.  This is proof of the affliction today's world is in.  Christopher Dawson believed that modern society was turning people into machines.  He taught that we need to depend more on the Holy Spirit, asking the Holy Spirit to enlighten our imaginations towards the production of creative works." 

Living and working by the clock instead of for God is definitely slavery.  It is not worth the stress if we are too tired or sick to have fun and enjoy life.  We have to pray that we will live our lives in the spirit of Christ and ask Him to help us slow down and experience the beauty of His creation.  Only then can we conserve His peace in our souls.