Well, I suppose there are a couple different ways one
could take this discipline. It is possible to interpret these words as to have
a whole diet of internet – i.e. consume the internet all day. Somehow I don’t think that is what these two
words mean in this context. My hunch is that these two words in this order mean
to limit one’s intake of the internet today, which is what I had set out to do this
morning.
I started out thinking that all I would do today
would be to look at email and respond to those things which needed my immediate
attention. After all, with my day-off being Monday, this is my first day in the
office.
I was not particularly successful.
I would open an email and “Squirrel!” I would see
something that I ‘needed’ to learn more about and explore. Finally, I would
remember, “Oh yeah! I am supposed to be dieting from the internet today.” I have been successful, however, at limiting
my social media intake (until I post this on my blog and link to it on
Facebook). I did a fabulous job of ignoring the constant buzzing of my phone
alerting me that someone had just posted something important on Facebook that really,
really needs to be read!
It is astonishing how much I am reliant upon the
internet. Not only is it my preferred source of communication, it is also where
I store my documents as I work on them, and it is a primary source of research
for sermon material. Then there is so much cool stuff out there too, and pretty
glittery stuff to spend money on, like books and electronics and – well, is
there anything else?
I would observe that without the distraction of
social media, I have been a bit more focused on work. Maybe tonight, I will use
the silence of an internet diet to spend more time in prayer and meditation.
God, help me to fill my life with that which
satisfies. Amen.
Shalom Y’all,
Owen
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