While social media increases our need for speed, in this holy season of waiting, we need to slow the digital connection down, quiet all the online chatter, notice the beauty of the season, and connect more deeply with those whom we encounter in our daily lives.
While social media can be a gift for hummingbirds like me who flit from task to task, it can also be a place for the dedicated woodpeckers to chip away at long-term projects. Woodpecker or hummingbird, for all of us, social media is a useful tool that, at times, we must unplug from in order to enter into moments of quiet. At these times, we can reflect on our spiritual journey and our connections to one another.
Resisting my urge to check my smart phone on my walk to work this morning I noticed the smell of pine trees and the smiles of strangers. In this Advent season, an ordinary daily walk can become extraordinary. And as I quiet down, I become grateful.
This is adapted from “Contemplating Christmas,” written by Mary Coudal, that was published on the Women of the ELCA blog on December 18, 2013.