Lento

This morning, I am very grateful for my alarm which woke me up right on time. Yet, soon after I got out of bed, my mind started racing as I quickly went through the activities of the day in my head. I soon realized that I needed to pause and think about God because otherwise, I could easily go through the whole day without ever giving Him a thought. 

“Slow down,” I told myself. 

Immediately, the term lento entered my mind. The musical term lento (slow, sluggish) requires a deliberate effort to make ourselves slow down. Music professors often wear themselves out telling their students over and over that they rush especially in difficult passages. In order for true lento to take place, the approach of the artist must contain such intensity and cohesiveness that the music is held together beautifully. 

In contrast, the tempo of the life of a musician can be so frenzied that agitato and prestissimo are the more appropriate terms one should use to describe it. Our Lord, however, does not intend for us to live such harried lives because it is difficult to hear His voice in those cases. Choosing to slow down offers us the opportunity to hear God’s voice with utmost clarity. The cohesiveness that results from that will afford us great musical and spiritual victories.

These days, my mind continuously dwells on my numerous duties. I must say that as a college professor, I often approach my calendar with a sense of dread. Dread, because looking at my calendar reveals a schedule which is packed with all kinds of activities, performances to prepare, committee meetings and concerts to attend, papers and exams to grade, reports to complete, articles to write, and a growing list of time-sensitive projects. However, I also approach it with anticipation because my calendar points me to the day that will put an end to each busy season of academic life. 

Whether or not you are currently engaged in academic life, you can probably agree with me that busy-ness threatens to bury us under its deathlike grip. Its relentless and frenetic pace has the power to throw people from side to side in a dizzying whirlwind as they go from one thing to another with very little room to breathe in between. I have to admit that I, for one, lose focus and clarity of thought when my life is similarly packed. I find myself thinking, saying, and doing things like:

"I had better slow down because I am not getting it."

"I need to catch my breath."

"This is too fast for me."

"Sigh.”

"Just keep breathing."

"Okay, I have to wait. I must slow down. I have to rest my body a little tonight."

When reality strikes, we are faced with the truth that the human body is not a machine. Despite the tendency to rush through almost everything and to go non-stop, people find that their bodies and minds will sooner or later require a drastic change of pace. 

It is that very principle that gives responsible drivers the wisdom to slow down before exiting the highway. Without slowing down, they will not have the clarity of mind to spot the exit sign, to steer the car in a safe manner, to recognize the landmarks confirming their arrival at the proper destination, and to avoid colliding with other cars or injuring (if not killing) pedestrians. 

When we do not slow down as people, we often get sick because, one way or another, our bodies require that alteration of speed. Recently, it took a heat stroke to teach me that lesson. Now, for the rest of my life, I have to be extra careful when I am working outside in the sun. 

Failure to slow down causes us to stop caring about what truly matters. There is such a profusion of noise, clamor, speed, and traffic in the hyperactive lifestyle promoted by our culture that it is often tempting to tune out the desperate cries of people who are in legitimate need. We do not have the time to pay attention to people who are slowing us down. We lose discernment and our perspectives are often skewed in times of incessant activity. 

Do we feel so overwhelmingly busy that we simply cannot get everything done? Do we find ourselves wishing that there were more than 24 hours, more than 7 days, more than 52 weeks, and more than 12 months? Are the things that keep us so busy and harried merely distractions that mar our ability to focus?

God thinks that we will benefit greatly if we do slow down. In fact, He wants us to stop and be still because in the stillness we are led to know Him. A passage that clearly illustrates that truth is Psalm 46:10,

"Be still and know that I am God; 

I will be exalted among the nations, 

I will be exalted in the earth."

Knowing God is the best thing we can do. We can be armed with the courage to face turmoil, conflicts, fear, weaknesses, destruction, malice, and certainly busy-ness because we know that there is someone who has the power to end and control all of it. Knowing God leads us to honor Him and to live in harmony with other human beings since He has called us to peace.

"Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, 

since as members of one body you were called to peace." 

Colossians 3:15, NIV 

O, Precious Lord, show us how to pause even for a brief moment. Teach us the wisdom of slowing down. Lead us to find our anchor in You so we can worry less, stumble less, and stray less often. And help us to grow more desirous of entering Your stillness and more grateful for Your presence. Amen!