TWW is on the rise, and it is leading to injuries and even deaths in our country.
If you open your eyes, you will notice it all around you and may even be a culprit yourself. Cities across the country are creating laws to attempt to end it, and Honolulu has already set one in motion that carries a $100 fine if violated.
TWW: Texting While Walking.
We are a distracted world. I became most aware of this while traveling on a train in Japan. You could have heard a pin drop on the train. Not one person was talking to anyone next to them. They were too consumed with the filtered lives of others on their social media feed than they were with those who were sitting right next to them.
The most powerful thing you can do in this distracted and divided world we live in is to look up. It is amazing what happens when you look up from your phone and into the eyes of others. In Matthew 6:22, Jesus said that the eye is the lamp of the body. The eye is the window to the soul.
When you look up, you notice hurt. When you look up, you communicate value. When you look up, you share hope.
Carey Nieuwhof, leadership consultant and writer, when describing trends in leadership for the future said that the new superpower is focus. If you can focus on those in front of you, you will be so different than the rest of the crowd that others will take notice.
Social media is not inherently evil, but it is not reality. You are viewing everyone’s filtered lives. Do not assume that because they shared a meme with a Bible verse, they really believe what it says. As you see pictures, do not be naïve as to the chaos that occurred before and after the picture was taken.
The enemy would want nothing more than to distract you from seeing the reality of hurting and lost people. If he can keep your head down as you walk from your home to church and back, maybe you won’t notice those in need around you or the lost who are also so distracted. Jesus, however, always looked up. He looked into the eyes of lepers, thirsty Samaritans, and hungry crowds.
Start the revolution. Look up! Focus on someone’s eyes. Listen to their dreams and disappointments. Share with them hope.