Modern Thought

I always thought that when I got among Christians I'd have reached somewhere that was safe from that horrid thing modern thought. But did I? Oh no, not at all. I blundered straight into it. I thought I was an upholder of the old stern doctrines against modern quasi-Christian slush, but it's beginning to look as if what I call sternness is slush to most of them.
-C.S. Lewis

I love reading authors from previous centuries or from early in the 20th century. I agree with the old ways of living. I have written about my love of the old-fashioned many times. Most of my beloved authors would cringe at our modern thought and modern ways we are so accustomed to today. We have given way to all things technology and cultivate the attitude of "do whatever pleases you" so much that we have lost our roots in family, deep conversations, old-fashioned creativity. This is a general statement, of course, for there are many ways in which we are creative today (using technology and crafts). I am mainly talking in regards to the overall ways in which these roots have been lost.

We have lost patience in modern thought. From every aspect. Our computers are too slow (I might be guilty of saying this at work a whole lot). Traffic is too heavy. Your smartphone is freezing up. The line at the fast food place was too long (fast food wasn't fast enough?). Granted, we are all a part of this modern day. We all take part. I have a smart phone and I love some Chick-Fil-A. Indeed, I am not denouncing our modern lives, but all the modernness seems to complicate them rather than ease our stress. Shouldn't it be the other way around? (May I just point out that my book never freezes up, and my journal never stops working. Although my pens run out of ink and I may run out of paper in my journal, these are trivial issues and not expensive to remedy)

These things of our modern day are not what's important, but we tend to make them that. I see people whose entertainment is purely television, video games, or movies, which fills every moment of time at home that there is no real conversation among the people with whom they live. Where has deep thinking and good conversation gone? Or sharing stories around the table, or playing a game together?

We are keeping ourselves blinded when our willingness is to allow the media in our lives so much. When we watch all the rubbish that is on TV or at the cinema (I am ignoring the few exceptions that do exist) we are adapting the Hollywood mentality, accepting of its ways, and making it our moral center by which we approve others' behavior. You may think that is not true, but take yourself away from it for awhile and you will see more clearly. That is what I did, and I will not go back to the way I used to watch TV and movies. I am so glad C.S. Lewis backs me up on this. He did not enjoy reading the newspaper in his day and he was apprehensive about where the world was heading in its 'modern' ways.

Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things;
and give me life in Your ways.
-Psalm 119.37