cup a joe

HT to Scot McKnight regarding a question raised by John Pattison at Slow Church:

In a 2007 interview with Arthur Boers, the philosopher Albert Borgmann makes the case that television is of moral importance. Borgmann says: “When I teach my ethics course I tell these relatively young people that the most important decision that they’ll make about their household is first whether they’re going to get a television and then second where they’re going to put it.”
I think for my generation and for the generation coming after mine, the questions could probably be amended to (a) “Are you going to get a smartphone?” and (b) “If so, what limits are you going to place on its use?”
These are questions I’m asking myself right now too. I have an iPhone. Am I going to keep it? If so, how should I limit its use? To use a science fiction metaphor, the iPhone is a kind of portal, one that can cause me to be mentally, emotionally, and spiritually distant, even when I’m physically present. How often do I want to have that portal open?

This really got me thinking.  I'm amazed on how I can have a busy day and not get anything accomplished because I let technology keep me busy.  I find it disheartening when I consider how may times I look at my phone simply because it is there.  Last year I dropped my phone and the screen shattered.  It took Sprint a week to get me a replacement.  I remember that week was like going through detox.  I kept patting my side where my phone should be - expecting it to be there.  I felt "phantom" buzzes (perhaps this is the way an amputee sometimes "feels" his missing body part).   It really bothered me - so much so that I started deleting apps that were simply there to waste time.

I find it interesting that the cost of being connected to the world is to become less present to those physically around you.

I've been in Puerto Rico for the past week at our Partnership meeting.  I'm trying to get back into the swing of things.  More post later, but until then...a message from our sponsors...