In chapter 5 of the simple classic The Tao of Pooh, Rabbit is in the middle of one of his "busy days" and feeling more "captainish" all the time. This is for a Rabbit a very good day. A day in which he has important things to attend to, which led him to "feeling more important every minute." In the middle of all this important, busy rushing around, he came to Christopher Robin's house where there was posted a notice.
Gon out
Backson
Bisy
Backson.
C. R.
And at that moment, Rabbit felt as if "his morning had gotten spoilt." Because Rabbit felt very important when he was rushing around until he ran into a note that told him that Christopher Robin was even busier than he was. (Let me translate Christopher Robin's note for those of you who can't read elementary school writing "Gone Out. Back Soon. Busy. Back Soon.")
And that ruined Rabbit's day.
As I have mused the past few days on the Spiritual Discipline of hanging out, I have been preparing to gently tread on the most sacred ground for most of us: our busyness. Bottom line: we don't hang out with each other--even though we want it, even though we need it, even though it's the best way to live and ultimately most satisfying, even though it is exactly what God did with us and what we are going to be celebrating this coming advent ("God became human and hung out with us." John 1:14 my translation)--because we are too busy and we like it that way.
When we are busy we feel important. Some of us are never happier than the exact moment when we are rushing down the freeway with our cell phones in our ears, rushing from one appointment, talking to one client while late for another appointment, and the call-waiting buzzes in with another call from your kids.
Because in our heart of hearts we believe that a full calendar is a full life.
Friends, this is the lie of our age and it is eroding our souls. So many of the friends that I hang out with have "Bisy Backson" disease. (Oh heck, I have it too.) Our busyness and how it makes us feel important is keeping us from what really is important. (Like time to pray, to develop friendships where we can talk about our souls, time to serve others and time grow in faith by eating pie.)
John Ortberg has written about asking a wise man the question, "What must I do to remain spiritually healthy?" The man answered, "Ruthlessly eliminate hurry from your lives."
This is a lesson that is at the heart of the spiritual discipline of hanging out. Interestingly enough my first teachers of this lesson were a Catholic priest and a latino barrio. But more on that tomorrow.
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