“Slow…Slower…Slooower”

“Let go, relax, and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10

For twenty-five years I was a football official, everything from peewees to semi-pro. My lovely bride called herself a “football widow” during those years, because of the number of Friday nights I was off to the gridiron. I did it primarily for two reasons: first, for the love of the game. I have loved the sport of American football (not to be confused for the larger understanding of football now being played in the World Cup) since I was a boy. I would spend hours drawing logos, reading history, or recording scores (like when Georgia Tech scored the most points in history by defeating the 1916 Cumberland University team, 222-0). Secondly, I delighted in the relationships that I fostered with coaches, players, and other officials. There is something life-giving for me to connect with people, no matter the situation (and why it takes me an inordinate amount of time to go to the grocery store…lol).

Training to be an official was a lot of hard work and practiced repetition. One phrase that was branded into my brain from early on was this—Go slow, go slower, go slooower! You see, the game can feel fast. Plays develop quickly, players can practice techniques that are contrary to the spirit of the game, and crazy, unexpected things can happen in a moment (it was by design that they made the American football pointy on both ends making it a theatrical moment when it begins to bounce). To offset the chaos of a play, every official must discipline themselves to move slowly yet purposed, prompt and determined, yet not rushed. It was John Wooden, the famed basketball coach in the glory years of UCLA who told his teams “Hurry but don’t rush.” While I admit it might sound counter-intuitive, the best way to see and manage the game was to slow down. Such a posture helps prevent mistakes, over-reacting, or making poor decisions, all of which can take the joy out of the game.

The writers of scripture aptly spoke of the necessity of slowing down if our spiritual journey was to be one of health and vitality. “Be still (cease striving, rest) an know that I am God” David wrote in Psalm 46:10. The implication is quite clear—it is much harder to know God if I’m running through life with my hair on fire. By the way, the Hebrew word for “know” (yada) has everything to do with closeness and intimacy in relationship. My relationship with God suffers when I don’t posture myself to go slow, go slower, and go slower still. I am indebted to British author Liz Hoare for the following use of words to describe this posture—read, reflect, respond, and rest.

Read. This is where it begins. To the readers among us, pleasure awaits. However, some of you out there are not good readers, others simply do not enjoy reading. Precisely why I underlined hard work and practiced repetition. Reading is really a discipline that needs to be acquired by God’s people. Note that I am not referring here to general reading, but purposed reading of scripture. Take a passage like Luke 10:38-42, the story of Jesus visiting the home of Martha and Mary. Read it slowly two or three times. We are not looking for information here. Rather, we are seeking to get the scripture from our heads to our hearts.

Reflect. As you are reading, a word or phrase will begin to take on a special significance. For example, Jesus said to Martha “Mary has chosen the good part.” Now we take the time to slowly reflect on that one phrase. Imagine that you are behaving like a cow, sitting in the field and chewing the cud. One of the Ancients wisely said that this is where we listen with the ear of our hearts. What is God saying to me here? What “good part” do I get by sitting at Jesus’ feet that I can’t get anywhere else?

Respond. Psalm 84 helps us to recognize this part of the process. Verse 1 declares, “How lovely are your dwelling places.” Verse 4 continues, “How blessed are those wo dwell in your house (literally presence)! The are ever praising you.” And the crescendo in verse 10, “For a day in your courts (again, presence) is better than a thousand anywhere else.” We walk to respond to God: praise, thanksgiving, verbalizing what His word is saying to us. There is a place for requesting things from God, but this is not that place. Rather, we are to simply respond slowly to being in the good place that Mary found herself that day.

Rest. Finally, we rest in God’s word to us. Rest in His love. See the gaze of His eyes as He looks on you with such compassion, affection, and kindness. You have now chosen the good part, and that cannot be taken away from you. True rest can never be hurried (read slowly) and absolutely should never be omitted. Augustine wrote in his epic work The City of God, this tremendous reality, “we shall rest and see, we shall see and love, we shall love and we shall praise. Behold what shall be in the end without end. In rest, we are experiencing what shall occupy our existence throughout all eternity.

All of this is accomplished only by going slow, slower, and slooower! It will help you gain perspective. It will guard against overreacting to the events and circumstances that life throws your way. It will guide you through the minefield of potential mistakes and poor decisions. And more than anything, it will enrich your relationship with the God who loves and cherishes you without reservation! And that makes for joy in the journey! Brothers and sisters, let’s let go, relax and know that He is God!

 Blessings on the Journey,

Dewayne