Whole Hearted!

jIH DichDaq nob SoH tlho' tlhej wIj Hoch tIq. qaSpa' the Qunpu', jIH DichDaq bom praises Daq SoH.

I will give you thanks with my whole heart. Before the gods, I will sing praises to you. Psalm 138:1

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Have you heard of a disorder called "Continuous Partial Attention?" This is a term coined by technologist Linda Stone to describe the way we are SO wired and connected that we wind up with "two people doing six things, devoting only partial attention to each one." It's supposed to be a new problem, and I can see why it seems particularly modern, as I head off to my daily bus commute with an iPod, pager, cell phone and more. But I wonder - I suspect (as is often the case) the gloss of new bells and whistles makes us blind to the fact the it isn't such a new problem.

Two thousand years ago, the apostle James warned believers about this,

But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach; and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, without any doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, driven by the wind and tossed. For let that man not think that he will receive anything from the Lord. He is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. James 1:5-8

It should be no surprise (at least if you've read the Bible's words "there is nothing new under the sun") that double-minded-ness is hardly a new problem. It may be assisted by technology, but the root of the problem is a failure to attend to what matters. When we let ourselves drift from one thing to another (and I know this problem from personal experience - I'm preaching to myself perhaps more than anyone here), we are as James says "like a wave of the sea, driven by the wind and tossed."

While James addresses this problem from the negative side, the psalmist here gives us a positive example, and directs our attention to something that can unite our hearts: nobtaH tlhob - giving thanks:

jIH DichDaq nob SoH tlho' tlhej wIj Hoch tIq. qaSpa' the Qunpu', jIH DichDaq bom praises Daq SoH.

I will give you thanks with my whole heart. Before the gods, I will sing praises to you. Psalm 138:1

For another name for "double-minded" is to be "half-hearted." The psalm gives us an example of a far more fruitful path, to be WHOLE-hearted, to give our all.. and to what? To thanks!

On the sector of the planet where I live, this is a time for a special holiday - Thanksgiving - which is not tied to any one faith, but united in the simple task of giving thanks. Not limited to only for those who have plenty, but also, we WITH plenty are urged and given opportunities to dig down deep and give to the less fortunate, in order to give them something for which to BE thankful.

David Fagerberg wrote: "The test of all happiness is gratitude," [GK] Chesterton wrote, and many of us have flunked that test. "Children are grateful when Santa Claus puts in their stockings gifts of toys or sweets. Could I not be grateful to Santa Claus when he put in my stockings the gift of two miraculous legs?" We feel no wonder at ordinary things; it is no wonder that ordinary things disappoint us. (FT March 2000: The Essential Chesterton, http://www.firstthings.com/ftissues/ft0003/opinion/fagerberg.html)

Are you as easily distracted as I am? Between books and podcasts and news - my attention is so easily driven to and fro, so that my Hoch tIq - my whole heart - is divided down to dust. I need to find a focus, and complete attention, to give thanks.

Let us all pray we find our hearts united in thanks, thanks to the great God who so freely blesses and shares love with everyone.