Over the decades, I watched something poison our culture.  It’s toxic, dangerous.  

It’s called “hurry.”

Our cultural pace of life has evolved from the manageable to something that looks more like insanity.  Stress levels have skyrocketed.  Burning out is no longer something the “other guy” is battling.  It now affects all of us.

Pastor and author, John Ortberg, shares the following timely, brief story:

Not long after moving to Chicago, I called a wise friend to ask for some spiritual direction. 

I described the pace of life in my current [job],… where [everything] tends to move at a fast clip.  I also told him about our rhythms of family life i.e. soccer practice, piano lessons, school assemblies, sports camps, it seems endless. 

I told him about the present spiritual condition of my heart, as best as I could discern it.  I asked him, “What do I need to do?”

There was a long pause.  And then, he said,

“You must ruthlessly eliminate hurry from  your life.”

Another long pause.

“Okay, I’ve written that down,” I replied.  “What else?”  I had a lot to do and was getting impatient.

Another long pause.

“There is nothing else.  You must ruthlessly eliminate hurry from your life.”

Ortberg concludes,

I’ve concluded that my life and the well-being of my family and the people I serve depends on following my friend’s prescription.  For hurry is the great enemy of spiritual life in our modern day. 

Hurry destroys souls.

nw