A few weeks ago, a friend sent me a link to a poem, “The Affliction,” by George Herbert: http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/173622.
I opened it at work but between new emails popping up and my “to do” checklist, I couldn’t comprehend it.
I just didn’t have the space necessary to soak in the poetry.
It wasn’t until the weekend when I opened it again that I finally was able to slow down sufficiently to understand the beauty of this poem.
Image credit: monticello / 123RF Stock Photo
Poetry doesn’t exist with a hurried pace of life – bullet lists do. In my blogging, I know how busy people are and how bullet lists succinctly communicate. Similarly, with our field operations, we try to turn all key procedures into checklists.
But sometimes efficient communication isn’t enough.
We miss beauty. In our on-call world, we run by vistas without stopping to take a look. Or we rush to eat lunch instead of truly tasting our food and enjoying a meal with friends.
It wasn’t just the George Herbert poem that made me realize rushed life spoils focus and creativity. Around the same time, I came to the disturbing realization that a disproportionate number of my ideas and creative thinking happens when I’m in the shower, the one remaining haven in our overly-connected world.
Creativity flourishes when it’s given space to flourish. It flourishes when we aren’t bombarded with other noise and information. When we put the world on pause.
Now more than ever, we need a few unhurried moments – beyond the bathroom. Times when our phones are out of sight. A day of Sabbath where we don’t measure our day’s effectiveness by how much we accomplish.
Where we take Selah – a time for pause and reflection. A moment to slow down and breathe deeply.
Maybe it’s time to bring poetry back into our lives – and along with it, the discipline of Sabbath and Selah.
Try it this week:
- Rediscover the beauty of the Psalms and take time to slowly. Read. Each. Line. Slowly. Here are a few Psalms to get you started: 40, 63, 51
- Take a Sabbath rest. I am trying desperately to protect one day a month where I unplug. I focus on important but not urgent tasks. Where I might just read a bit of poetry and think about ways of doing our work differently.
- Read from Poets.org. Poets.org is an incredible archive of poetry, poet biographies, as well as videos of poems read by the authors, presented by the Academy of American Poets.
April 30, 2013
I used to love reading poetry and would read it regularly. Then it slipped out of my reading pile. Lately I’ve been wanting to go back and let that form of writing speak to me. Thanks for the resource of poets.org. Sounds like a good place to start!
May 2, 2013
Thanks for sharing, Lisa! Yes, I’m excited to start using poets.org more regularly!
April 30, 2013
Bob Buford is VERY big on poetry and takes 3 days a week to ponder literature, poetry, the word, time with Jesus and the beauty of nature on Still Point Farm in east Texas. There’s wisdom in this Peter. My encouragement is to strive for more than just 1 day a month for this activity.
Yes…it IS the pot calling the kettle black as I am in the midst of rushing through my time with Jesus, a quick 30 minute run, back to the hotel room to work before I go downstairs to get to know leaders at the CLA conference. It would not be completely honest of me if I didn’t say I have a low level of stress / anxiety in trying to fit it all into a day…and I call it really following Jesus??? Something tells me that truly following Jesus doesn’t feel like this.
Finally…I was recently with Ken Blanchard and he shared, “Taking a Sabbath rest is a command…right up there with Do not commit adultery, Do not murder, Do not steal…” I am certain God takes this seriously no we must follow His lead and trust Him for the results.
Sorry…this is such a lengthy response. You seem to have hit a nerve with me today.
Keep up the great work my friend.
Blessings,
Greg Murtha
iDonate
May 2, 2013
Greg – I don’t know many people who “get this” better than you and Bob Buford. Grateful for your example and friendship!
April 30, 2013
Terrific encouragement. I needed this today. At a conference recently, I heard someone share an idea I’ve used a few times to encourage this. When you’re at dinner with a group of friends: Stack your phones in the center of the table. If anyone needs their phone during the meal, they have to pick up the tab. I’ve been surprised how well-received this idea is every time I’ve presented it. I believe it’s because folks innately crave real connection with each other …and are willing to ignore texts, tweets and emails for an hour to find that connection.
May 2, 2013
Chris – I love the phone stacking idea. Deep down, we all crave real connection. I remember Shane Hipps comment about how technology has the ability to make those far away feel close and those close feel far away.
April 30, 2013
Indeed, brother! Thanks for the apt reminder. I’ll take any excuse to read Herbert as well. A similar experience for me happened upon reading G.K. Chesterton’s little novel, “Manalive”. It shocked me out of the busyness of the world, back into the beauty of it. Get a copy if you don’t already have one. It’s a quick read and its one you’ll be tempted to come back to often.
-wb
May 2, 2013
Weston – that sounds like a book I need to read. Thanks for the suggestion!