We live in a fast pace generation.
We want fast food and immediate contact. I’ve just read a secular book called Wait by Frank Partnoy, who suggests that many actions and decisions were made too quickly, resulting in disastrous consequences. In response, some diagnoses now take days as a ‘first guess’ answer might be fatal (I had always feared my resistance to ‘fast replies’ was an old dinosaur phenomenon). He cites examples from various aspects of life. One of the most telling was a surgeon’s use of a checklist which he would consult at various stages of his operation to check all was well. Apparently it has reduced operational errors by 40%.
Slow cooker
Perhaps we have lost what he calls ‘the gentle art of procrastination’ which he defines as being the wisdom to know when the action time comes at the end of your planned delay. The Bible encourages us to wait on the Lord and I wonder if we have fallen for the ‘microwave’ solution rather than using the ‘slow cooker’. But does this have anything to do with youth ministry? I think so.
