Living in the Shallows

“How long will you wander around, you unfaithful people?” (Jeremiah 31:22 VOICE)

Before the pandemic, my favorite place to eat was a local Chinese buffet restaurant. I would flit through the sections picking up a bit of this and that until my plate was full. After I finished my first plate, I would go back for more. I rarely thought about what I was eating or how much I was consuming. Thinking too deeply would ruin the fun. A few hours later, I would regret my choices. Bloated, parched, and tired from mindless excess, I would tell myself I would be more careful next time. But the memory would fade, and I would go back to the same bad habits. 

Before the pandemic, I did a lot of things unthinkingly, carelessly. My thoughts and actions were adapted from the culture around me. I just did things without examining my motives, priorities, or purpose. Thinking too deeply would ruin the fun. Even when I was aware of the impact of my behavior, I rarely thought beyond my comfort. Bloated, dissatisfied, and exhausted from mindless excess, I would tell myself I would change. Yet, after decades of being swept along by the ways of the world, shallow living became my default setting. 

(Continued in next post)