TUNING OUT HAS BECOME EPIDEMIC

Clarence was reading some Christian literature when I first approached him at the fitness center. I was intrigued by his reading matter and used it as a means of connecting with him. We had a good thirty minute conversation, wherein we praised the Lord and shared thoughts about discipleship.

On subsequent occasions I have spoken to Clarence nearly every time I have seen him, but he rarely responds. That is unless I get right in front of him and wave my hand in his face. You see, Clarence is one of those who works out with ear buds in his ear, listening to whatever it is he listens to. I suppose he does it so that he is able to tune out the sounds around him.

The problem with that is that when one is in the midst of a lot of people, listening to an iPod or some other device, simply tunes out the world. It robs one of opportunity for interaction and separates one from what might otherwise be uplifting relationships.

Now, this is not a criticism, merely an observation. I would like to have a closer relationship with Clarence, but he refuses to allow it by closing me out, along with all others in the building. Just this morning I spoke to Clarence and he went right on, not responding in any way. I jumped around in front of him and waved my hand in front of his face and forced him to respond. He was nice enough, but I could tell he would rather be listening to whatever was playing in his ear than to be talking to me.

I am afraid that is a lot of what is wrong in our world today. For whatever reason, too many of us refuse to listen to what is happening around us, choosing instead to immerse ourselves in our private reverie.

As I left the fitness center this morning I discovered another evidence of that. I pulled up behind a woman in a big old Excursion. The reason I pulled up behind her is that she was driving about thirty miles an hour in a forty-five MPH zone. When I finally was able to pull out around her I saw that she was talking on her cell phone, completely oblivious to what was going on around her.

It is reasonable to assume that all this technology is going to absolutely ruin us for relationships, simply because it is causing us to shut off the world around us.