"The Tyranny of the Scattered Mind"

Continuing the discussion of theological themes that emerge at the start of the baseball season, I came across this post on the Christianity Today blog entitled "Pitching as Liturgy"--an intriguing title, to be sure. The writer expresses the belief that the life of faith, like pitching, requires deep focus and discipline. Here's an excerpt:

"Faith, belief, and trust in a God who is invisible to our senses is tough work, kind of like striking out an all-star hitter. With the noise of the fans, the signs from the catcher, the lessons from the coach playing through the mind, it's too much. For me, with the daily commute, the constant deadlines, the needs of a family, I'm shackled by the tyranny of the scattered mind. God is there, oh yes, but there are so many more pressing things. Life is hyperlinked, and I never complete one thing before moving to the next."

Rob Moll says that the solution is to engage in routine, ritual, the discipline of worship and spiritual practice. I really like this analogy because it speaks to the thing that many Christians in a "what's next" and "what's new" world miss--faith involves some hard work.

Check out the post--it's a fastball on the inside corner.