Lent 2018 I fasted from content. I only allowed myself music.  By the end of lent my friend waved his hand in front of my face and would say..."Paul...Paul... are you in there?".

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That lent broke the spell of consumption. As a 7 on the Enneagram, who gets bored quickly, I am almost constantly absorbing content about something.  Pre-fast I would consume, consume, consume, and never digest.  I was compulsively consuming content, even plugging into a podcast on a 2-minute drive to the gas station. It was obsessive. Now, when I start to feel like my spirit is overheating and I desire for content immediately I try to go the other way and practice a contemplative practice, a combination of silence, solitude, or stillness. 

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And, I believe learning is renewal.  There is a lot of wisdom (and trash) out there. Wisdom that pulls us deeper into self-awareness, God-awareness, loving action, and a graceful posture changes the way we integrate with the world.  Expanding the boundaries of our blinders, through connecting with other's stories and research, gives us hope in the ever-growing connection to God, each other, and the natural world.