If Jesus Had a Cell Phone

I am reading A Praying Life by Paul Miller.  The book so far is very good, very practical, and very inspiring.  Praying in our world is very difficult because we are so busy.  We have emails coming in, thoughts running around in our minds, and pressures coming from all directions.  Finding a snippet of time where we can be uninterrupted by another can be quite an obstacle.

I was greatly encouraged by Miller's comments about the life of Christ.  He writes: "But even a cursory glance at Jesus' life reveals a busy life.  All the gospel writers notice Jesus' busyness, although Mark in particular highlights it.  At one point Jesus' family tries to state an intervention because he is so busy (Mk 3:20-21)...But he loves people and has the power to help, so he has one interruption after another.  If Jesus lived today, his cell phone would be ringing constantly...The quest for a contemplative life can actually be self-absorbed, focused on my quiet and me.  If we love people and have the power to help, then we are going to be busy.  Learning to pray doesn't offer us a less busy life; it offers us a less busy heart."

I don't know why this makes me feel better.  I guess it is because my life feels like it is completely out of order.  No matter how hard my wife and I try, we just cannot seem to run a perfectly regimented home-machine that is without the constant "Bing!" and "Ring!" of the cell phone.  But, I know we love people.  And, a love for people and the gospel make for a pretty busy life it seems.

I am reminded now of Spurgeon and Calvin, both dying at a relatively young age due to illness and overwork.  When asked by a parishioner how he could get so many things done, Spurgeon replied something to the effect of, "Don't you know?  There are two of me."  I can only imagine how many interruptions he would have faced if he had a cell phone!

And these men - Christ, Spurgeon and Calvin (along with scores of others) - were devoted to a life of prayer.  In the midst of all of the interruptions, they communed with their Father in prayer.  Christ even had to wake up before everyone to find the time.

I pray that my life would resemble theirs.  That the grace of God would drive me to a busy life bathed in prayer to my Father.