Amazon Chips Away at Civilization?

Feeling overwhelmed? Can’t find up from down? Working to pay your taxes, tuition, with no time to breathe?

Is being able to receive packages from Amazon.com on Sunday really what you need in your life? Aside from the fact it’s probably smart business for Amazon, and that it gives the postal service more of a reason to be, the introduction of more stuff, more exuses to be online shopping Saturday simply adds to the noise and the chaos of our lives, doesn’t it?

In front of us is the living God, Pope Francis said during his Angelus on Sunday. Can we see Him if we are too busy reading the book or playing with the gadget we just got by Sunday U.S.P.S. Amazon delivery?

(Somehow I doubt we’ll all be ordering books on the interior life on Fridays and Saturdays for Sunday delivery.)

How about, instead, spending some Sunday time in quiet meditation, contemplating that living God? A starting point might be to just stop. Take a break. To, as the pope said to pilgrims this weekend, knock “at the Lord’s heart.”

“The Lord always waits for you, for all of us,” the Holy Father said, as he’s said before. “The Lord does not tire in waiting for us; he always waits for us.

When will we let Jesus Christ take us into His merciful arms? When will we begin to accept the love of our Creator, a loving Father who has a plan for us, who loves us and has a role for us in this world, in His love for us and brothers and sister we know intimately and not at all. When will we begin to listen to the Holy Spirit’s guidance in our lives?

We need Sunday. I’m a loyal Amazon customer. But I need a day. No deliveries. As few distractions as possible. Some shot at peace. Meditating on the Trinity, rejoicing in the presence of blessed people  — enjoying loved ones, basking in wisdom. I can’t be alone. The mail must go through, the mail must go through. But on Sunday? We have higher communications to reserve for that day. God can work miracles, but he needs men and women leading the examined life to be able to hear his daily guidance! Sunday is key to success, to happiness, to faithfulness, to renewal.

Amazon’s not to blame for our loss of focus. We have choices to make.