Speed kills, but in this case, I'm not talking about driving.

My friend, John Piippo, wrote an essay about this very subject when he was reading a journal of higher education that talking about the way that speed in and of itself is seen as this amazing, remarkable thing. However, it actually has a huge downside to it because it affects us negatively in the church.

Our culture is obsessed with speed. The idea that speedy technology would give us more leisure time was an illusion. So many of us are trapped within the prisons of our quick gadgets. Contrary to our expectation, the technologies that were supposed to liberate us now enslave us. Networks that were supposed to unite us now divide us. Technologies that were supposed to save time leave us no time for ourselves.

Social status used to be measured by how little somebody worked, but now it's measured by how busy you are. If you're not constantly connected, you're unimportant. If you unwillingly unplugged to recuperate, play, or even do nothing, you become expendable slacker. The worship of fastness has its own value system.

Good is now understood by words like: individualism, utility, efficiency, productivity, competition, consumption, and speed. As a result, it has repressed values like: community cooperation, generosity, patience, subtlety, deliberation, reflection, slowness. As acceleration accelerates, we find ourselves approaching a meltdown. We've been tricked into worshiping speed. Something that creates an endless desire where there's no need.

There's just something about slower living. It's sometimes easier said than done, but the truth is that certain things in life just shouldn't be microwaved. Sometimes we just have to give it time.

If that's where you are right now and you're feeling a little rushed, a little impatient, ask God for the gift of His presence. This gift will allow us to be present in this moment and to recognize more of Him and less of what's coming next.