I tweeted this some months ago and then it happened to be a topic in this book I started reading recently — “The deeply formed life” by Rich Villodas.
Weeks away from Twitter taught me that I’ve not learned how to be bored. How to just be; without the restlessness that comes from lack of activity. During this alleged hiatus, I spent more time on Instagram and Netflix. Books too, I deserve some credit. I really just replaced one addiction with another. And it speaks of how much of our identity and self worth we have tied to work, activity and the illusion of productivity. Or perhaps, how much we avoid the deep work of processing information, thoughts and feelings.
I’ve recently started to practice being still — just sit there, no phones, no books , no loud prayers — just meditating and praying silently and boy does it get boring! One time, just 10 minutes without my phone and I fell asleep. I almost never sleep in the afternoon.
Learning to be consciously still and quiet is a discipline we don’t see much around. And it’s a much needed skill for the strengthening of our spirits and the grounding of our souls. There’s so much noise we drown in and it’s so easy to lose sight of one’s essence.
Many Christians are practicing lent this season and maybe it’s a good custom to imbibe (customs are simply disciplines for spiritual growth. God already approves of you). Lent is a season to contemplate on Jesus’ journey to the cross and his resurrection. Easter happens to be my favorite holiday. So this season, my Lenten practice is to learn stillness so I can hear the rhythms of divinity within me.
I’m learning to normalise boredom because most of the time, God is not in the whirlwind of excitement and frenzy, nor in the fire of passion and zeal but in the stillness of our hearts. In the quietness of our minds.
The lines of an ancient song in the Bible inspires us to “Be still, and know and know that I am God!” Psalm 46:10 (NLT).
