Maybe it’s time we just put the phones down, you know, just once in a while? … Just for a little bit?
What do you think, Faith Family?
Like say … when you’re watching your young daughter running through a bubble machine on a wonderful spring day in the front yard. … Cloudless, blue sky. The dark, forest green grass of a new spring. Vibrant tulips popping open in the background. … Heaven breaking through the veil to the earthly realm.
All seen through … the small lens of a smartphone, rather than the human eye.
The irony that you are likely reading this on a smartphone right now is not lost on me. So, if you would like to stop now, take a deep breath and enjoy the moment you’re in, I applaud you. … Go ahead. Let the phone go black. … Put it down.
You can always come back and finish reading later. I promise I won’t mind!
On a recent morning, as I drove down our residential street heading to a meeting, I saw what I presume to be a dad and daughter in the front yard of their house enacting this exact scene.
The bubble machine was a cute, plastic, black and white cat that blew bubbles from its mouth. And the precious little one was running back and forth through the bubbles with as much glee as a toddler can possess.
And there was dad … kneeling on the grass … so that he could get the correct angle with his smartphone so that he could capture the adorable scene on video. … A scene that made my heart first soar … and then my heart sink.
Now, full disclosure. I only got a brief snapshot of that scene. Maybe 10 seconds worth, as I drove by on my way to my busy day.
I don’t know how long the two of them had been at the bubble game. They may have been playing a long time before dad pulled out the phone for the video session. Or maybe he filmed a short video, put the phone in his pocket and focused his attention on the moment at hand.
We can’t ever presume knowing all the details, can we, after all?
But accepting that as a truth, I’ve since still been bothered by the fact that dad needed to pull out the phone at all at that moment. … As if, the moment couldn’t possibly be real if only he witnessed it. … I mean, does an adorable daughter running through a bubble machine even happen if it’s not posted on social media?
Before I get high and mighty, I will fully admit that I have used my phone to take photos and videos of our children’s sporting, faith, music and academic activities for the better part of two decades.
I posted them on social media as well, but I also have curtailed the activity quite extensively in recent years. Maybe it was because the kids get older, and they don’t much care. Maybe I just have posting fatigue like many others. Maybe I subconsciously am pulling back on how public our family’s life is. … I couldn’t tell you for sure why I’ve decreased my social activity as of late.
But, I did have an early history of proud dad posting as well, and I will own that. … And so, maybe these words ring hollow as a once frequent proud dad poster.
However, maybe I can own that past … as well as have a new perspective now that I’m a little bit older and have seen a bit more transpire in the space of social media. Witnessed its dark side as well as its potential, so to speak.
Study the scriptures and there is plenty there to remind us to live our lives in the moment … versus behind a camera lens. … Because this life is fleeting.
I understand the desire to capture every moment. After all, I was raised by a highly prolific photo-taking mom!
Last year when she passed and we sorted out her things, she had dozens and dozens of Rubbermaid totes filled with photos. Many thousands! … And it was a joy to spend hours and hours and hours sorting through them all. They brought back memories I’d long forgotten. And the moments were holy.
But that process also helped me to realize that my favorite moments from 50 years with my mom and family were the ones not captured by photos or videos. I am grateful for all those photos, but un-photographed moments are the ones that are held deep in my memory bank and in my heart!
I will admit that I won’t stop taking photos and videos of our kids anytime soon. … And heaven help our grandchildren! … But I am trying to consciously be more in the moment when I’m with my loved ones and forget the digital recording for posterity’s sake.
So, how about Faith Family? … Can we all agree that maybe a few less videos for our social feeds might lead to some real life moments -- some divine moments -- that we will cherish much more deeply for a long time?
Who’s with me?
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