One of the most challenging aspects of adopting a more monastic lifestyle is learning to slow down in a world that continues to revolve faster. Father Charles Carpenter of Alamos, Mexico just published “The Jesus Walk” in the April 2011 edition of Homiletic and Pastoral Review which discusses the importance of slowing down in order to live a more creative and satisfying life.
In his article, he reminds us that Jesus took his time "from the start." He spent 30 years working with wood in Nazareth and slept on a fishing boat during a raging storm. He even put off healing Lazarus. Father Carpenter stated: “We might affirm, without much margin of error, that this man was never in a hurry to do anything.”
Father Carpenter also discussed in his article that great masterpieces took time to be done well and wondered about the lack of masterpieces in today’s world. People in the Middle Ages valued leisure and considered workaholism as a "form of sloth." However, we turn out pulp novels today instead of great works of literature. Writing faster on a computer instead of using a pen deprives us of the pauses that bring forth creativity. “Perhaps the reason we do not have great men in our times is because we do not allow ourselves to do things slowly, that is, with the time it takes to do it well.”
How do we counter this culture that values speed over quality? He encourages people “to learn a new dance – the Jesus Walk” which is “walking slow” and allowing time for creativity. He also reminds us to find time for prayer and uses the example of Jesus who always prayed before making major decisions. It is not “time lost” but the “best investment.”
The most intriguing part of the article was how rest is associated with creativity. Lately, I have been busier which might explain my struggles with writer’s block. It has been increasingly more difficult to find time for prayer in the morning and journaling. I finally cut back on outside activities which has helped me focus. It will be an interesting experiment to write more with a pen instead of a computer (and I confess to writing this blog on a computer but at a slow pace).
Last weekend, I learned a lesson in slowing down. My son and I were returning from the store in the rain and were chatting as I drove through the neighborhood. Suddenly, a car tried to turn in front of us from the street to our right. I put on the brakes and barely stopped within inches of hitting the car. The speed limit is slow in this neighborhood so it is tempting to drive above it. I realize if I had driven faster, my son and I would have been in a serious head-on collision. Thank God the only thing that happened was that both our hearts were pounding.
Dr. Peter Marshall, a famous 20th century Presbyterian minister, also wrote about this topic in a sermon called “Sin in the Present Tense.” It was written just after World War II. His observation was: “Whereas our grandparents could make a gracious ceremony and devote a whole evening to a game of Parcheesi, we now feel frustrated unless we can in a single evening, combine a dinner date, take in a movie, make a couple of telephone calls, visit somebody on the way downtown and maybe do some shopping on our way to the show. We try to do too much in too short a time. We are compressing our lives into capsules that are quite indigestible.” (Catherine Marshall, A Man Called Peter, 1951, pg 323) He compared worry and anxiety to lack of trust in God which is a sin. I wonder what he would think of our even faster life in the 21st century.
Therefore, we must resolve to deliberately slow down our pace and find the peace of soul from "living in slow-motion." It is counter-cultural but certainly obtaining inner peace is worth the effort of slowing down. I hope you will take time to read Father Carpenter's article. You can find it on his website at http://www.missionariesoffatima.org/. The article is located under Christian Living. Click Christian Living and then "go to archive" to view the article. You can also find information on his work as a missionary in Mexico. The Homiletic and Pastoral Review website is http://www.hprweb.com/.
