One of the most effective tools for weakening the human meaning of the individual or the masses of individuals is distraction, a theme of a recent Page. As we approach Christmas I am impressed at the distractions of the holiday from the meaning of Christ born in Bethlehem.. Some historians accent Gibbon’s point related to the fall of Rome – the Circuses. By distracting the populace with dramatic entertainments, like feeding Christians to lions or gladiators, the leaders of the empire could hold the attention of the populace who were thereby distracted from the excesses of the rich and powerful. Leaders succeeded, for a time, to distract the public from the taxes, the long periods of warfare that swallowed their sons, and the prevalence of poverty. The story strings out. Among the exotic distractions was the freedom offered Romans within easy travel distance of Rome, and the limitations of distant, conquered nations. In this the locals felt they had it better than the outlander conquered people, so it was taken as beneficial to accept the somewhat better than to be victims of even less. Power achieves that context.
The human tendency shows itself in various ways in which our lives are managed. Prejudice related to race, gender, nationality, profession – to scores of contexts – is part of the distraction from what ought to be. We find our presumed comfort zone, and settle there. This is made acceptable by putting others in lesser life situations. Sometimes it leads to bullying in both adults and children – even war between nations. Put-down (distraction) can be that forceful. As this is being written nations large and small are putting each other down, and the din is so great that few can hear those voices of peace dedicated to solutions and good will. I have written a manuscript about prayer – 250 pages or so. Of the many major concepts that have engaged me in that project one was a statement from A. W. Tozer about distraction. He felt that distraction was a major enemy of prayer. Persons are so easily distracted in engaging serious thought, including prayer, that the main purpose might easily be lost. He thought that a person needed to be especially well disciplined to reject distraction to be effective in prayer and satisfied with it, that to fail in that management would be to fail in prayer. He had a personal preparation for prayer that made the event special – and memorable for the few he would invite to prayer from time to time. His focus served him well. Jesus illustrated such prayer.
We seem to pride ourselves in the advancement of civilization which we relate to freedom, better than those trapped in societies that remain unchanged from old and poverty-driven survival modes, or found in restrictive governments. Not unlike the Romans of old we too are distracted by the entertainments, the improvements of living conditions, the culture of distraction through civil and good things in their place in the belief that we are better, perhaps doing what we ought to do, living high on the hog, when in fact we are distracted from our purpose wasting even some resources that could lift the burdens of the denied, the neglected, the troubled, the disenfranchised, the weak – and the list grows long. Jesus gave his days and some of his nights to the matter. He taught the disciples not only for ministry to the necessary spiritual issues but the physical as well. He healed and fed people. Long before, God gave manna to Israel in the wilderness. He means for those who identify with him to do what he did and does – care for people both in spiritual and physical needs. Even this can be tricky for the church. We can become so taken with the physical needs something we can easily see and relate to in our own lives, and so to reduce, perhaps drop altogether, the spiritual needs of human beings from life experience and biblical counsel for spiritual growth and service. One is done without leaving the other undone. In this both the temporary (day-to-day) life and immortality (eternal hope) are addressed. What could be better than that call, clear and lasting, concentrated and committed – so to help cover the needs of mankind that others may overlook? We sometimes miss the magnetics of distractions, some accidental and some chosen. Our excuses for neglecting the ministry vouchsafed to us from Christ and the Apostles are distractions. None of this has changed in Christian privilege and duty in a changing world and shifting values. We are grateful that we are permitted to search such matters, but many persons simply ease out of issues related to covering faith. *Mark W. Lee, Sr. — 2016, 2020