March 20, 2024 ~ 6th Wednesday in Lent
“[There are those
activities that] we use...for a kind of pleasure which can be called
"fun." But it is not the creative kind of fun often connected with
play; it is, rather, a shallow, distracting, greedy way of "having
fun." And it is not by chance that it is that type of fun which can easily
be commercialized, for it is dependent on calculable reactions, without
passion, without risk, without love. Of all the dangers that threaten our
civilization, this is one of the most dangerous ones: the escape from one’s
emptiness through a ‘fun’ which makes joy impossible.”
~ Paul Tillich* 1886-1965
-What
kinds of things do you do "for fun" or relaxation or simple pleasure:
Photography, playing a musical instrument,
cooking, reading,
bird watching, dancing, video games, playing the slots, gardening, playing
or watching outdoor sports, watching television
or movies or Facebook or other social media, or games, on
your phone in a restaurant at a table with others...
-When
does fun turn into idle play or idle play into an obsession or addiction,
or trying to always please others?
-When
is "entertainment" at the expense of or in exploitation of
others (however well they are being paid)?
-Do
your fun times improve your life financially, enhance
a relationship,
or your physical, and mental health?
Dear God of Free Time ~
What should I do when my time is my own ~ is there a right way or a wrong
way to do "fun"? Does everything I do in life have to be filled with
usefulness and meaning? Sometimes I just want to sit and vege-out in
front of the tv, sometimes I want to run on the beach, learn to paint, or sing
in the car. Sometimes I want to write the perfect sonnet or cook the most
sumptuous meal for friends. I don't want to be responsible for saving
civilization.
Well, then let
me think this through. For today, I'll give up some
of the empty time of mindless "entertainment." I'll take
on some mindful relaxation that will give me a
positive outlook on life and then transfer some of that into energy to
contribute something use-full to at least local civilization if only in
a small way. I'll pray to keep idle play from
becoming idol play. I'll keep trying to remember that You are present in
every moment of my day and only through You can I experience the joy that this
life has to offer and then offer it in a variety of ways to others. amen.
*Paul
Tillich is considered as one of the most influential theologians of the 20th
century, and Christian Existentialist Philosopher. His seminal work
is a three-volume series on Systematic Theology, which is
his most widely known writing though there are many others.
A German-born Lutheran pastor, Tillich came into conflict at the rise
of Nazi power and was encouraged by Reinhold Niebuhr [see
Prayers for Lent Day 23] to join the faculty of Union Theological Seminary
in New York. He later became one of the Five highest ranking
Professors at Harvard University and later a professor of theology at
the University of Chicago. His strong influence continues in the
world of academic philosophy and theology with its critics and apologists - a
legacy that will survive for a very long time to come.
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