NPH's daily reading of the Psalms has yielded this phrase more than once this week. "Deliver me from my enemies." Strangely, for the first time in his life, NPH feels like he has enemies, only they're not the things that a technological age thinks are enemies. Because they are the technology. Or they are a person's use of the technology. Or they are a technology's use of a person.
Computers, television, video games, mp3's: NPH is only starting to see the ways in which these devices conspire to claim valuable chunks of his time and attention and to deny him the fulfillment and the rest that they promise. For example, NPH three days ago finally dove headlong into the bittorrent phenomenon, and he has since acquired innumerable records he has long desired to have. To what result? Fulfillment? Enjoyment, even? Not really. Instead he is fatigued and finds his thoughts increasing drifting towards other things to look for, to discover, to acquire.
To be delivered from these enemies is the only thing that will save. NPH cannot manage them, cannot avoid being given completely over to them for a time. Alas, NPH cannot, it seems, avoid worshiping them by offering to them the most valuable chunks of time and attention he has to give.
They have crept into NPH's life with a whisper about "leisure" and "recreation"--"education" even--and they have established strongholds in my everyday routine. They are occupiers. They are enemies.
Deliver me from my enemies.
Home » Church » "Deliver Me From My Enemies"
Friday, November 24, 2006
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Search
Popular Posts
-
I can't locate the article online, but February's Los Angeles Times Magazine has a wonderful little essay by the playwright John Pa...
-
I'm happier for an Allen victory than I would have been for Lambert, but I've soured a bit on the Idol franchise after this go '...
-
Here's the link to the Steve and Kathy Show , the show for which we did a man-on-the-street interview earlier this week. Seriously, the ...
-
Joshua Radin's new record has served as a sort of soundtrack for NPH's vacation this week. Here's the video for one of the track...
-
Is there a more ad saturated event than an NFL football game? Watching his hometown Broncos this afternoon, NPH has been subjected, he is su...
-
For Gokey, the scream is operative. That can't be good. The judges love him though
-
NPH and a colleague are collaborating on a preaching series for the next seven weeks and a-blogging as we go. Check if out at A-blog-alypto ...
-
In November NPH punched "yes" on his ballot when asked if his city ought to build a massive light rail line. We had been asked thi...
-
A couple of weeks ago NPH featured 39 Second Single , a web-based video serial about a 39 year old single woman in New York. We're now p...
-
I just got an email response to my first query for a freelance story. It came from the Associate Editor of a bi-weekly magazine. The respons...
No comments:
Post a Comment