That's Interesting

Jonah 4:10 But the LORD said, "You have been concerned about this vine, though you did not tend it or make it grow. It sprang up overnight and died overnight."

“That’s interesting.” I say it quite a bit and I hear it said even more. It’s true. A lot of things interest me. However, in today’s fast paced, over scheduled, information packed world I think it might help to be a little more particular about what I give my attention to.

At some point I considered the possibility of “that’s interesting” being an overused and slightly abused little phrase. The concept stirred me and I decided to delve a little deeper. In the process, I checked my trusty Merriam-Webster dictionary. A little way down the list of definitions I found one that grabbed my attention: “readiness to be concerned with or moved by an object or class of objects.” Since then, I have weighed a lot of interests by asking if something provided me with that readiness.

Of course, things I find interesting tend to get my attention. However, all too often I think it has just been whatever attention I had to spare for that moment. Then what happens? I guess, according to Merriam-Webster, I become uninterested which they define as “not having the mind or feelings engaged.”

This “discovery” moved me to be more conscious of what sparks my interest and a desire to be active in what moves and concerns me. Maybe it sounds like a no-brainer, but, the more I thought about it the less obvious the concept seemed. There are times when interests fall by the wayside while life revolves around necessities and the expectations of others. I fully understand that sometimes these things just can’t (and shouldn’t) be avoided and priorities have their rank. Then there's the risk of trying to be engaged in everything and everyone. Somewhere out there, balance exists. Without proper attention to what is in our hearts, I believe circumstances can readily be used as shovels to dig ourselves into ruts.

The nightly news is filled with dilemmas we face as a society from random shootings to global warming. I am considering the possibility that many of the issues on the news and others that manage to touch our lives might have some root in being uninterested or its close relative “indifferent.”

The following is an Elie Wiesel (holocaust survivor) quote:“The opposite of love is not hate, it’s indifference. The opposite of art is not ugliness, it’s indifference. And the opposite of life is not death, it’s indifference.”

It’s a lot to think about. Does it interest you? It interests me. I have a readiness to take some kind of action. I have a pretty good list of excuses (a.k.a. good reasons) for not having done more. I have my fair share of time and financial restrictions. (We’ll talk more about that later.) Regardless, I want to take more forward steps, no matter how small. It beats running around in circles, which I have caught myself doing (figuratively, of course.) I’m not ready to save the world. I just want to be moved and concerned by what interests me; the things I find taking root in my heart. Please join me. I want to use this site to share interests and ideas for taking action. I would like to share with each other what we’re trying, what we’re doing, what’s working and what’s not. I look forward to sharing some of my ponderings and to hearing yours.

-Lisa