Put it Away

For my recent birthday, PC gave me an iPad. I had wanted one for quite some time and was delighted when I saw the Apple Store bag in his hand. Once open, I set about downloading some apps, books, and other necessary things. The next thing I knew? It was 3:00pm on a Friday afternoon and I still had 43 pages left in Life, After by Sarah Darer Littman. I couldn’t imagine waiting 28 hours (give-or-take) to find out how the book ended. So I sank into my favourite reading spot and learned what happened to Dani and her family.

Why the rush?

Shabbat is a cathedral of time, according to Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel. Having “fallen victims to the work of our hands,” we must allow the Sabbath to teach us “the art of surpassing civilization.”

Or, as we might say, unplug.

Unplug from the vast number of gadgets and gizmos that keep us connected all the time and in (most) every place. Turn off the smart phone. Put away the laptop. Leave the iPad, Kindle, Nook, etc. in a drawer. Experience life in the moment, without worrying that you must capture it as a status update or on Twitter.

To help you in this endeavour, the fine folks at the Sabbath Manifesto are asking people to take the UnPlug Challenge this coming Shabbat. Pledge to disconnect for just twenty-five hours.

Come on…you know you want need to…