Everything changes at a speed heretofore
unimaginable and we are all struggling
to keep up. Please do not hear me
wrong- I am not categorically dismissing
technology or the Internet as evil, wrong,
or inherently sinful. I just think we would be
wise to consider its effect on us regarding
THE FRUIT OF THE
FAST-FOOD FAITH
the things that really matter in life like love,
joy, peace and patience.
The best things in life, after all, often
take time to come to fruition. Things like
relationships, great works of art, and
character
development.
Parenting.
A
crucial part of all of the above is, more
often than not, waiting. Yet, fast food
and instant entertainment have trained
our hearts to never wait for anything.
By John Lewis
Everything is always at our fingertips, almost
the moment before we think it. So we
“Trees that are slow to grow bear the best fruit.”
struggle with our humanity. Our already
― Molière
impatient hearts have been supercharged
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with the lightning-fast capabilities afforded
magine for a moment, you are writing someone a letter. I am not referring to an email,
us by technology.
text, or a social media message or any other digital correspondence. Rather, a genuine,
Pause with me a moment and consider
hand-written, sent via the United States Postal Service, letter. Your hand smooth’s the
these two verses: “The Lord is good to those
blank page before you, pen in hand, and your heart is brimming with expression. You
who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks
cannot wait to fill the pages and see where it takes you.
Him,” (Lamentations 3:25) and “those who
You begin to write and rewrite, toss rejected versions in the waste basket, and struggle
wait on the LORD shall renew their strength;
with the words on the page until you get it just right. Then, when you feel it is perfect, you
they shall mount up with wings like eagles,
very carefully fold the pages, slip it into an envelope, address, stamp and seal it, and
they shall run and not be weary, they shall
send it off via your friendly neighborhood mail carrier. Your heart fills with anticipation the
walk and not faint.” (Isaiah 40:31) Are you
moment you know your letter is in-route!
weary, dear mother? Could you use a
generous dose of the Lord’s goodness?
Then you wait for a reply.
It’s your lucky day! Just follow these 3 easy
steps to- Wait. No. I’m sorry. I suddenly
Weeks go by, perhaps even months, but you never lose hope. Life carries on around you,
somehow crossed over into a late night
but no matter how bad or good the days are, you always come back to this hope of a
infomercial. I wish I had 3 easy steps to give
letter written just for you, and you smile. Then one day, when you least expect it, among
you, I really do. But I am afraid there are
the other mail, you encounter an envelope with your name hand-written on the front!
no shortcuts to spiritual success, whatever
It is hard to describe the joy and anticipation that courses through your heart and fingers
that is.
as you clumsily tear open the envelope and unfold the letter, your eyes searching for the
Instead, we have this messy business of
salutation. Reading words handwritten just for you by your friend, family member, or lover
dying daily, His life in us, and letting His Spirit
brings such a warmth to your soul as your heart connects to theirs. And you read it and
rule our hearts. As we discussed last issue, it
re-read it, admiring even the handwriting, and store it somewhere for easy access and
is no longer we who live, but Christ who lives
safekeeping.
in us. What, then, is the source of patience?
Now this may sound to you like a scene lifted out of the 1850’s, or maybe the 1920’s or
I think we forget, at times, that patience is a
some other era long ago. Though perhaps touching and charming, it feels a bit slow,
fruit of the Spirit. It never will be a fruit of the
inefficient, and archaic. Why wait weeks and months to read something you could get
flesh, no matter how hard we pray or try.
in mere seconds via text or email? Some of you, however, will remember and identify,
Seek patience and you will ultimately find
realizing you only have to go back as far as the 1980’s or early 90’s to remember an
heartache and frustration.
experience like this. Such has the impact of the Internet and technology had on our lives
and culture over a very short time period.
We used to talk about “life in the fast lane”, but now, with the advent and complete
integration of the information superhighway, life is the fast lane.
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Seek Him and His life in you and you will
find patience and a whole lot more - all He
is, living in you! The Lord be good to you,
dear mother. May you bear the best fruit. ◘