The Dynamic Life

Ok, I admit it, the title is a redundancy, in case you picked up on that.  Life, by definition, is dynamic.  In other words, our life is always full of life, active and moving.  Even for the couch potato, the assembly line worker and the elderly in the nursing home.  Of course, these are stereotypes, but a stereotype is a stereotype because it is built on the reality of the picture. 
So the title "The Dynamic Life" does not necessarily mean the "productive life" or "the positive life", but simply that life is ever changing, never static. As we go through our days, we are doing something, both physically and mentally.  We are either growing and improving or growing and diminishing.  There is no such thing as a static human being. 
So the question is, "Which one are you?"  In our day and age, there are so many possibilities for growth and improvement. But at the same time, there are so many opportunities for distraction and loss.  We can put in our eight hours a day of work and then waste the rest of our time in distractions and entertainments.  In this case, we are diminishing, as we are not using the mind and/or body that God has given us.  Or we could be using the rest of our time for the improvement of our minds, our bodies or the improvement of others.  Granted, there is the fourth option of our efforts going toward the diminishing of others, and unfortunately, this is common.
So where are we at?  A slow decline into mediocrity and waste or are we growing and improving.  We only have so much time, considering that most of us have to work and sleep, which is 2/3's of our day.  What do we do with the other eight hours?

Productivity

I was about to make a comment, to one of my children, about being productive, when the thought struck me.  Why do we always think of productivity in regards to things temporal/physical/monetary?  When one stops and considers to what the term actually refers, it simply is about producing.  And producing something that one considers valuable.  So clearly, an underlying definition is being exposed herein.
When we have accomplished our day and have been "productive", it means that we have produced that which we intended or hoped to produce.  Whether it be widgets or sales figures or a trailer full of crop x, y, z.  But what about things spiritual? Do we ever think of a visit to a monastery as "productive"?  Do we every finish our Lenten fast (or any fast for that matter) and looking back, consider the time "productive"?  I would think that we probably do not.
But in this I think we are exposing a serious flaw in our hearts and minds.
When we look at the length of our physical life, in comparison to the eternity that stretches out before us, it is almost nil. But the time that we do have, as free will agents of 80 to 100 years, the time is very important.  For this short time we have in our struggle against sin, is the only time we have to form our souls, to seek after holiness and to fight against sin.
So really, we have a tiny sliver of time to prepare ourselves for eternity.  And that is something that we really must strive in and be productive.

Limited Time

I just had a handful of thoughts come together and connect, as I sat drinking my morning coffee.  First, we are all limited in our time.  At best, we will have 100 years of life. One third of that will be spent sleeping, so we are immediately cut down to 66 years of conscious living.  Another 1/3 to 1/4 will be spent earning a living, and, in many cases, doing a job that we really do not find that interesting or fulfilling.  Then there are the "must-do's" in life, things like: eating, bathrooms necessities, driving/commuting, waiting for various appointments.
This comes down to probably only a few hours a day when we have the choice to make as to how to use the time.  In our day and age, in our culture, the mentality seems to be entertainment and comfort.  We will use our time doing something that we find entertaining, relaxing, exciting.  Pretty much we turn it into "me" time.  Is this right?  From all that we know about Scripture and the teaching of the church?
But I want to strongly emphasize, this is a matter of personal responsibility.  This must not turn into a Pharisaical exercise.  These are questions that we must ask ourselves and answer to ourselves, for ultimately, we will stand before God and give account for what we did with what we had (what he has given us).
You have to wonder. Are we living our lives in the very best way we can (ie loving God and loving neighbor)?  Or are we justifying our various actions and activities so that we can be comfortable?

A balance

Amidst the constant thought of loving neighbor,  one way that manifests itself is in helping the poor. One question that keeps coming to my mind is that of balance.  Is there a balance between the money we keep for ourselves and the money we give to the poor? Or how about our time?  How much time do we keep for ourselves versus giving to others?
It is very easy to look at others, especially the wealthy and assume that they are not doing enough.  But who's to say?
An early church father commented that if we have two coats, one of them is actually stolen from the poor! It's a big question to think about and one that will probably make us uncomfortable.

Corruption and Time

It occurred to me again (it seems like this comes up fairly regularly), that the root of corruption is time and our use of it.  Somewhere along the line (and I have a fairly well thought out understanding of this historicity), people began to live as if having more money meant that they thus had the freedom to spend their time however they pleased.  You see it all throughout history, in many different cultures.  When a culture becomes economically successful, they slowly but surely slide into corruption and depravity.  I think the reason for this is the use of time.
When someone has lots of free time, they, in most cases, begin to use it to entertain themselves.  You see it in young men who spend hours a day playing video games. Or in young women who spend hours and hours, shopping.  As we age, nothing really changes, we simply, slightly modify what it is that entertains us.  There is a reason that the entertainment industry in the US is a multi billion dollar industry.
Some of this comes from our desire to be comfortable and distracted.  Why sleep on a hard surface when you have the money to buy a big, comfy bed?  Why eat beans and rice when you can be a regular at four star restaurants with the latest and tastiest fare?  Why spend your time learning something or helping someone when you have 300+ channels of TV and the Internet?
It has to do with worldview.  The worldview that we hold will direct and control how we spend our time.  If our worldview is that of "me first", then of course we will be fat and comfortable.  But if we are motivated by "love God and love neighbor", we won't spend hundreds of hours a year distracted by bright and shiny things.
But why corruption and depravity?  Mankind was not made to be a mindless boob entertained by distraction.  We were made for community and love.  When we spend our freetime being distracted by entertainment, it will eventually get boring.  So we move onto the next exciting thing.  And eventually that mentality reaches an end.  So we dip a little further into the bizarre or perverse to bring back the excitement of being entertained.  Its called the law of diminishing returns.  When one things gets old, we move to the next.
Like using a lightbulb to pound in nails.  We may be successful for a short period of time, and with certain nails, but that is not the purpose of lightbulbs.  Man was not created to blow time on entertainment.
But to end with a thought, its about balance.  I am not calling for a new "law".  The Christian law is not about law, but love.  There is nothing wrong with watching a movie, listening to music or reading a book.  But if these things are preventing us from loving our neighbor or from helping those in need, then it is a problem. If these things are leading us into corruption and a feeding of the passions, then it is a problem.  But that is something that you, as an adult with free will and responsibility, will have to determine for yourself.  If you need help with direction, speak with your priest.