Week 26: Bastardized Beauty & Remnants of Light
Weekly Digital Detox Reflections
Peace be with you, kind readers. Welcome to the Endeavor. If this is your first time here, thank you for joining! You’ve joined exactly halfway through a 52-week journey towards digital minimalism. Every week, I do my best to adhere to a routine that keeps my use of digital technology as low as possible. I use my time away from digital tech to be more fully present in all areas of my life. I also use this time to reflect on what I am learning or thinking about, to write, and then share those reflections with you here. If you want to catch up on The Endeavor, please consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
Progress Report
As stated above, we are now halfway into my year-long commitment towards digital minimalism, and surprise surprise, I am a fundamentally different man than I was when this all began. The phone is no longer an attention-eating parasite that never leaves my hand. It’s now something I can (and do) easily forget when I leave the house. I’m more present, gentle, loving, and kind with my wife and children. We cook more. We clean more. We play more games, read more books, and have more fun. Lifting my head and opening my eyes to my family rather than the screens has enabled me to see how beautiful family life truly is. Of course, there is a catch. The same enhanced perception that has helped me better appreciate my family has also revealed a particular repulsiveness of our contemporary world.
Where My Thoughts Have Been
There’s a thoughtful, more intellectual article or essay waiting to be written based on the title of this post. If anyone reading this would like to write such a piece and use “Bastardized Beauty” as your title, you have my permission. I have neither the time nor the energy to write that kind of thing anytime soon so for now, I’m just going to rant.
God created this world and gave it to us for the nourishment of our entire being. He gave us food for the body, relationships for the soul, and a mind capable of recognizing its beauty. Understanding these things working together leads us to the truth that indeed all good things come from Him. Yet instead of showing appreciation, we reject the Father and devalue His gifts. We’ve willingly made ourselves fatherless, separating the way we live from the will of Christ and in doing so have bastardized everything beautiful.
Food provided from the earth for good health and good taste wasn't good enough. We’ve chosen to instead rely on food-like products which often taste fine but not great and leave us hungry for actual nutrients. Modern quick and cheap food has been good for those who may otherwise go hungry, but that doesn't mean we should ignore how these foods have made the sin of gluttony all too present.
The relationships ordained by God, specifically marriage, have become meaningless for many. Married men watch porn almost as frequently as single men. Instead of seeing their wives as beautiful gifts given by God to facilitate holiness, they view them as objects who are there to satisfy their sexual desires and dote on them endlessly. There is of course more at play here. Fathers have been absent for generations either through abandonment or more devotion to their work than to their families. Mothers have had to carry the burden of child-rearing, picking up the slack of the fathers, and have been simultaneously led to believe that being a mom who takes care of her kids and the home somehow lowers her value. It’s no wonder why under these circumstances divorce rates hover around 50%.
As if lousy food and relationships weren’t enough, digital distractions of several varieties have become the center of our attention, feeding our minds with nothing from above, but only on the things of this world. Men can’t stop playing mindless, violent, or crude video games. Men and women alike seem to believe they will die if separated from their smartphones. You would think work and or driving would incentivize us to put our phones away but trust me, it doesn’t. Part of my job is to visit, deliver, pick up, and provide service for 15-30 customers a day, driving from business to business as I go. I drive a box truck (like a UPS or FEDEX truck) which gives me high visibility of the road. When I tell you everyone is texting or is on social media when they are driving, I mean everyone. When they get home from work not only do the phones stay in their hand, they also turn on their TV or tablets and consume mindless, violent, and even pornographic content. This is what most people’s minds are consuming and well, you know the saying. You are what you eat.
All of this culminates in a culture of obesity, chronic health issues, multiple mental health crises, ugly buildings, ugly homes, ugly art, and under-appreciated human beings who wouldn’t know what to do with any love or affection if they received any. Reflecting upon all of this can and sometimes does leave us feeling hopeless. But fear thou not, there is a remnant of good in you and all of us calling us forth. I want to help you hear that call.
“In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.”
John 1:4-5 KJV
Despite all the darkness I’ve described, I cannot help but see remnants of light. Take some time to put down your phone, turn off your devices of distraction and ask God to help you see what is good. This practice has helped me see past the obvious darkness. I have no statistics to throw at you but I will tell you that I see a renaissance of the family. Many people 35 and younger whom I get to speak with believe in the sanctity of marriage and understand the importance of being present in the lives of their children. I’ve also noticed that many people from this generation are very health conscious. They are genuinely concerned with what they eat and are mindful of being physically active. Is there an element of vanity for some who feel the need to post about all their health habits? Yes. But overall, the desire for good health for good reasons is strong and should be applauded. For years now Christians in America have been exceedingly loud in pointing out the flaws in our society. This is understandable and not without reason, but I believe it’s time we work on becoming known for our love and encouragement. If we see young men who are taking care of themselves and of their families, let them know you see them and that they are doing great! If you see a young mother who is gently and affectionately taming rambunctious children, tell her she’s a great mom and that her family is blessed to have her. Let’s give compliments and promote what is good!
Imagine a world where wholesome, God-centered encouragement was strong, popular, and was sustained for generations. A world where a remnant of God’s light has become the light that sustains creation. What would that be like? Well, that would be like Heaven. What could be more beautiful than that?
Benediction
In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy upon us, we sinners.
“The LORD bless thee, and keep thee: The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.”
Numbers 6:24-26 KJV
Thank you for reading! Do your best to disconnect from the artificial, and connect with others.
And as always,
Keep thy head cool and thine eyes true.
Howard Pyle, Man of Iron
Scripture of the Week
“Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; but let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.”
1 Peter 3:3-4 KJV
Word of the Week
(adjective) oblique- neither parallel nor at a right angle to a specified or implied line; slanting
Why oblique? It’s just a good word.
Music of the Week
Out Loud- Alejandro Aranda
Beautiful, Daniel. There is so much insidious rot set in, that it can often times feel almost hopeless! But this is a wonderful reminder to embrace proactive joy & encouragement, not just get satiated in a state of reactivity all the time.
Good rundown of our fallen world, Daniel. Almost the whole book of Jude is dedicated to this very thing, except when he gets to verse 20 and beyond, in which he challenges believers to do everything possible to wake folk up before it’s too late. Appreciate the passion you put into this, my friend.