We have a fridge magnet that says, ‘A well balanced diet is a biscuit in each hand.’
However, I want to invite us to reflect on not what goes in our mouths, but what goes into us through our eyes and ears.
Two
Scripture verses come immediately to mind when I think about this.
The first is
a very familiar passage from Romans 12.2, which the J.B. Philipps translation renders
as, ‘Don’t let the world around you squeeze you into its own mould, but let
God re-mould your minds from within, so that you may prove in practice that the
plan of God for you is good, meets all his demands and moves towards the goal
of true maturity.’
And then
from Philippians 4.8 ‘Finally, my friends, keep
your minds on whatever is true, pure, right, holy, friendly, and proper. Don't
ever stop thinking about what is truly worthwhile and worthy of praise.’
I am avid news
watcher, and I also listen regularly to BBC’s ‘Newscasts’ as well as podcasts, ‘The
Rest is Politics' with Alistair Campbell and Rory Stewart and ‘The Rest is Politics
USA.’
However, on
Saturday mornings if I am out for a run as I was last Saturday, I like to
listen to Radio Two (not my usual station to listen to).
Last
Saturday I was being entertained by Romesh Ranganathan and Sara Cox, or as they
jokingly designated themselves, ‘RomRa.’ This was all based around ‘Radio 2 in
the Park’ being held over this weekend in Chelmsford.
They were joined by Ellie Taylor who was to open the Party in the Park with an air horn that was malfunctioning. However, there was a considerable delay in the gates opening and so ‘RomRa’ had to fill in and ad-lib. They were also joined by veteran DJ Tony Blackburn.
What I found wonderfully refreshing was all the banter, the joking, the public joining in with various messages, and with Ellie talking to people at the Party who were enjoying the fine weather and looking forward to the line up of artist.
This, for
me, was getting the ‘other biscuit.’
This was getting a balanced diet.
Doom scrolling is a real thing and is adversely affecting a lot of people and having a damaging effect upon their mental health. Just check that out online and you will see a number of reports discussing the very harmful effects this can have on us. One Report from the Harvard School of Medicine offers this advice, ‘While keeping abreast of current events is essential, doomscrolling provides no extra benefits. "We need to stay informed, but not at the expense of our mental health," Dr. Nerurkar says. "And cutting back is not about abstinence; it's about decreasing reliance."
In the Practising the Way Course (Practicing the Way) and on the sessions about Solitude this question is asked, ‘what is the first thing that enters your eye and your ear gates as you wake up in the morning?’
Is it a clock radio that is set to a programme where you will hear the news.
Or will you sleepily reach for your phone and start checking it for messages
and maybe begin to slip over into doomscrolling.
"Prayer should be the gate of the morning and the
bolt of the evening" is a quote from Mahatma Gandhi.
That is very
sound advice for followers of Jesus and as people of prayer.
Before we
listen to the radio or look at our phones, let us check in with God through
prayer, maybe even taking time with a cup of coffee or tea. Putting God first
and setting God there as a marker for your day, or perhaps better put, the day
you and God are going to have together! And
then check in regularly during the day and of course, as you lay down to sleep.
May we live
in the reality of this song….
‘From the moment that I wake up until I lay my head I will
sing of the goodness of God.’
https://youtu.be/ZvXEPKR_D8U?si=W0ehW1oByIXQpIcR
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