There are a lot of skateboarders in my seaside town, so occasionally I’ll see an official metal sign prohibiting that activity – and, either on the sign or close by, a “Skateboarding is not a crime” sticker. I’d like to borrow that idea and apply this sticker to Western culture: “Stillness is not a crime.”
Because all indications are that it’s considered a punishable offense. The other day, I ran into an acquaintance at the grocery store. I asked him how he was doing and he said, “Oh, keeping busy.” As if he wanted me to know that he had not violated the Prime Directive of human life: to remain in motion at all times. As if he wanted to assure me that he is doing his part to produce and contribute to society.
Where did this idea come from? The longstanding adage “Idle hands are the devil’s workshop” is indicative of this mindset, and it’s just terrible! I’d like to build a time machine so I can go back and prevent that fallacy from becoming part of our vernacular. (And to prevent the creation of the xylophone, but that’s a story for another time.)
We could try to blame the concept of the Protestant work ethic, I suppose. If you look at the basis of this concept here, you’ll see that it’s pretty whacked theologically. Because what this concept comes down to is the age-old trap of the human mind – the idea that we can work for our salvation.
This idea has transcended the God-fearing set. The Wikipedia entry says that “A person does not need to be a religious Calvinist in order to follow the Protestant work ethic, as it is a part of certain cultures…The Protestant work ethic is often credited with helping to define the societies of Northern, Central and Western Europe such as in Scandinavia, Latvia, Estonia, the Netherlands, United Kingdom, Germany and Switzerland.” And of course it travelled across The Pond to the U.S. Hooray.
Of course, industry and thrift have their benefits. Of course it’s important to do good work. But what’s happened is that the Protestant work ethic has devolved into this idea that we can’t be idle without being sinful. It’s made keeping busy our national religion. And that’s messed up.
It permeates our culture, so everyone feels it to some degree; one’s Enneagram Type and level of awareness will determine how much. I’ve already talked about how technology, specifically mobile devices, have ensured that we never have another idle moment in our lives. But they are not the enemy; they would not have caught on if our culture had not been addicted to busy-ness.
Consider this insight from Charles Ringma:
“Life without self-reflection leads to us losing our way. In the words of Henri Nouwen, ‘A life without a quiet center easily becomes destructive.’”
Learning to be quiet and still, and doing it consistently, will help lead to the self-reflection that keeps you from losing your way. In fact, it will help lead you to your true self and to a deeper knowing of God. That’s something no amount of 80-hour work weeks, Facebook or unlimited streaming can offer.
The Uncovery Discovery Blog 