The Speed at Which We Live, Move and Have Our Being

During our discussion at my last Bishop's Leadership Academy for Clergy Excellence, one of my colleague said something profound.  He said, "You know we do not necessarily have more happening in our lives.  But the reason we are all unsettled and searching for meaning is that we live at a faster speed than prevous generations.  The difference between the good ol' days and today is speed."

Speed.  Speed is the difference. 

I think my colleague is onto something of significance. 

My husband knows something about how to measure and calculate speed on open-wheel race cars.  By one degree of separation I have learned a thing or two about speed over the years as I have listened to him explain his work in timing and scoring.  We are able today, like never before, to meaure the smallest fractions of speed difference...especially on race cars.

Like racing the rate at which we live our jobs, education, parenting and marriages seems to have a different tempo than previous generations.  We drive faster cars. We search for quicker recipes to prepare for evening dinner.  Our lives hop from one activity or event to another like a grasshopper without her ADHD meds.

Which begs the question what speed is God's speed?! 

You know a race fan does tell a race car driver, "Good luck" prior to a race.  Instead the proper protocol is to say, "Godspeed!"

Fascinating.  And ironic.

So what is the tempo by which God moves?  The speed at which race cars travel, we would all agree,
is very different than the speed of a tulip blooming or a child learning a new skill on her piano.  Is God's voice the one who is slow to speak?  Or does our Divine Being, who is Eternal and Forever and thus not bound by our laws of physics and time, break into our fast pace quicker than we can imagine?

Just as technology has developed to measure speed to the smallest fraction... maybe we need to learn how to listen differently for God's Word while we are on the move. 

Ha!  Perhaps I need to download my audio Bible onto my iPhone so that I can listen and run.  Could be a good spiritual discipline?  What do you think?