The Art of Being

"Life is short, but there is always time for courtesy."

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

It's your call

Few of us would disagree that we are living in a world where much of what we do incorporates the use of computers and, especially, cellphones.

As the technology advances, time seems to be getting more and more compressed; I've observed that, in this state of compression, many people are becoming less and less considerate of others.

I had a rather startling demonstration of that on a Sunday morning as I was presenting the opening prayer meditation during our 10 a.m. service.

Several minutes into the meditation, the lights had been dimmed and there was a beautiful stillness washing over everyone as several hundred people were settling into the quite dignity of sacred communion with God- until someone's cellphone rang, and rang, and rang.

It was a lovely, catchy little tune, but nonetheless proved to be more than a bit distracting.

I paused for a moment to refocus my attention, thinking not thoughts of anger toward the individual whose phone was ringing but, more so, thoughts of sadness that this person might be so attached to the world that he or she couldn't give themselves (and others) the gift of one hour of quality time for spiritual communion without interruption.

I understand there are exceptions to the rule, such as a physician who may be on call- that's why God created pagers that vibrate.

We observe the same thing happening in restaurants, street corners, theaters, public bathrooms and certainly in automobiles on the highway. How did we ever survive before the invention of the cellphone!

Of course, we survived for centuries without that electronic gizmo attached to our ear. We could now as well, couldn't we? Let's get real here: Our need/addiction to stay connected to the world 24/7 may be getting in the way of our being authentically connected to God and fully engaged in life in the moment at hand, wherever we may be.

I know this is a delicate issue to address; most likely any one of us could find ourselves somewhere in the descriptions of those who use cellphones in a manner that may encroach on other people's space, not to mention their safety.

If we want to ponder how many of us abuse the use of cellphones from an even more basic and logical perspective, I invite you to consider the essence of Emerson's statement in the above quote:

While life is indeed short, or in today's terms, "compressed," that's no excuse to be less than courteous to our fellow human beings.

Can we find time to stay connected to the world in a manner that also honors and respects others? Of course we can- when we set our intention to do so.

The spiritual reality is: Be it in a sanctuary on Sunday morning or on the 405 Freeway at 5 p.m. on a Friday, God is there, and wherever God is there is a divine continuum of time- we just need to become aware of it.

Time is all we really have, so enjoy it, but support others in doing the same. When you stop and think about it, there's always enough time to be courteous, yes? So, stop . . . and really think about it. It's your call.

As a suggestion, just for today, try to live without using your cellphone while in the presence of others if at all possible.

This doesn't mean don't do business if you need to, but do so with a mindfulness of the impact it has on others around you. If you can get by without using a cellphone for one full day, observe how that makes you feel.

Use that time to make a connection of a different kind: Call into your awareness the presence of God wherever you are and have a conversation, but listen more than you talk.

Dennis Merritt Jones is the spiritual director for OneSpirit Center for Conscious Living in Simi Valley. His website is www.OneSpirit.org.