Aguilar: On wasting time

I WAS invited by a Jesuit scholastic to attend a short recollection a couple of years ago. Despite my full schedule that day, I made time not to miss it, not really because I was generous to God but mostly because I’m pretty sure the food is going be great. I know this with much certainty because I have been a regular visitor of Jesuit houses all over the country and one thing is common, their food are always a heavenly experience. That Sunday was no exception.

Though I may have signed up for the sumptuous meal, what nourished me more (I could only hope) were the things I gained from the talk. The theme of that evening’s reflection was creating a sacred space. Let me dissect them to you with the hope that you may be nourished too. Here goes:

Almost all of us get caught into the routines of our lives. We wake up, we eat, and then we do our responsibilities for the day. We then meet with people, socialize with them, and then we go home. At home, we usually just watch TV, talk with our family and then finally retire. And for some of us who are more privileged, we unwind at malls, coffee shops or restaurants before we call it a day. Some days are more interesting and breathtaking, often times we just go through the motion. On holidays some of us enjoy wasting moments with love ones, and for those who have none, we wrestle with our pillows wishing we never have to get up.

If we look into how we spend time in our routine, we realize that we spend most of it on things that matter to us. Perhaps the biggest chunk of our day is taken by our jobs, and then followed by idle moments with people we hold dear.

Yet come to think of it, regardless of what religion we are in, how much time do we consciously spend with our God? Take me for example, my Christian duty starts when I do the sign of the cross before I leave home and ends after I rush the prayers before meals. That’s about it. And yet, I claim to have loved God. I mean how can anyone say he loves someone if he barely spends time with the person? The most important people in our lives are usually the ones we waste most of our time with -- our family, our colleagues, and friends.

And what’s my point? Simple really, if it’s relationship we seek with our God, then we simply have to waste time with Him, even if nothing happens, or even if we get bored. In the same manner that if we want a good relationship with someone then we just got to waste time with that person. Because really, it is not that the person is special that’s why we value him or her, rather it’s the time we spent with him or her that makes the person special and valuable to us.

If I were to sidetrack, this also goes true with our local leaders as well; it’s a good measure to see who among them truly cares. The leaders who truly care for their people are the leaders that are seen wasting their precious time in the company of their constituents making efforts checking how we are, instead of being in their vacation houses, spending our tax money with overpriced services to impress their pretty girlfriends.

Back to my main point, again if it’s relationship we seek with our God, then we simply have to waste time with Him.

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