We love and and our love deepens for that which we spend our attention and energy. Marital relationships weaken when the attention of one or both partners is diverted to something or someone else. Relationships suffer when we focus our attention on ourselves and our own pleasure. Television, Movies and other electronic media are not necessarily bad in and of themselves but when they become a substitute for life, and relationships with real people, they become and insidious evil.
I used to be a big fan of NASCAR. In the late 1990s stock car racing almost became my religion. I faithfully watched every race on Sunday afternoon. I rooted for the heroes and I anguished over the victories of the villain. The tracks around the country seemed to me to be hallowed ground. The retired and deceased legends of the sport were the saints to be venerated. The Daytona 500 was the high holy day of this religion that started the racing season. From then I knew all sorts of stats and standings as they progressed through the season. I did this for a few seasons. Then a measure of perspective came into my life. The champion of any given year is only champion until the beginning of the first race of the next season. And ultimately it is a bunch of cars continually turning left.
The thing is, NASCAR was the story I was living. The story of NASCAR is one of striving for excellence, of pushing oneself to the very edge of performance. Its about getting the best team around you that is possible. In NASCAR it isn't that you have to win every race but you have to consistently do well to be a champion. Striving, trying, excelling. I could sign onto a life like that. And I did, but it was exhausting and ultimately unfulfilling, because, like NASCAR no matter how many victories you have you are only one crash away from unhappiness.
Be strong. Serve God only. Know that if you do, beautiful heaven awaits.
The Story that we live matters. Many people don't know that they are living a story, but we are. To get a clue what story you are living (if you don't know) figure out what movie is your all time favorite. Not the one you tell everyone because it makes you sound cool, but the one that you watch over and over again. What is it about that movie you love. You love it because it resonates with your spirit and it is likely telling your story; the story that you are likely living out every day.
It is well known fact in my household that I love stories where the hero of the story sacrifices him or herself in the end. A couple of the movies I love are Gladiator and The Professional. In both the hero of the movie dies in the end. It is not a giant leap to connect this with the story of the Christian faith. Jesus is the prime example of self-sacrificing love. This is the story I strive to live. I fail at it miserably. I am often selfish rather than self-sacrificing. I cling to the material world like a drowning man would cling to a life preserver. However, in those moments when I get it right, I find peace. Nothing like the hollow victories of earthly goals. Not like the unfulfilled striving,and performance based living. When I lose myself in the purposes of God, when I suspend my sense of self, that is when The beauty of this life unfurls before my very spirit.
So what holds your attention? What you spend your attention matters. Spending time with God matters. It is in this that your true purpose will be revealed. Go and be with God in prayer. It is not something to perform or to prove excellence. It is a place to go. It is truly a process of deepening love.
Oh yeah and now I couldn't care less about professional racing or any other professional sport. Life is to short and precious to live through other people's victories and failures. I am reminded of a line from the band Arrested Development in their song Mr. Wendal, "Be strong. Serve God only. Know that if you do, beautiful heaven awaits." You may want to argue some minute theological point in this but the point is to wake up to what is important in life and to quit living with our head in the sand.
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