The World is Stalking Us

It is amazing to me how on the first day a new iPad is offered for sale people will line up outside the store for up to 3 days in advance!  The assumption seems to be that if it is “new” it is better and we just have to have it!  Is “new” better?  All the electronic inventions which are supposed to make our lives easier and better like the iPod, iPad, cellphones and laptops have in fact complicated our lives!  Being able to send and receive email no matter where we might be now makes many feel guilty if they are not checking email every ten minutes!  And the thought of simply turning off all of our electronic connections is to most people today simply incomprehensible as well as anxiety-provoking!  As a result of our connectedness there is nowhere to get away anymore and it feels as if the world is stalking us!

Today’s culture seems to create in many a sense of undifferentiated anxiety.  What might I be missing?  What might I be guilty of?  What is goodness and badness?  In terms of moral goodness is the one who fears transgressing and always “walks the line” a “good” person?  How about the one who breaks the rules and repents, thereafter striving to be better?  Questions like this require thoughtful and nuanced examination instead of yet another electronic program!

We live in an age capable of exploring the outer reaches of the cosmos and yet the technological culture which allows us to always be superficially busy often gets in the way of delving into the inner workings of our heart!  We become mystified as to why we want what we want and clueless to find the answers!  The prevalent non-Hawaiian scientific worldview today has diminished our ability to live with unquantifiable Mystery, starting with the mystery of our own heart!  Is there an app for that?

Kahu Kimo