Can't Wait to Unplug!

I do admit I get a bit queasy before I begin my weekly pre-Shabbat technology cleanse. By holding down one button on my cell phone, I shut down all social media, instant messaging, emails, phone calls, updates, and breaking news: but my info junkie side knows the drill and fades quickly.

While this can be accurately experienced as, “going off the grid,” “powering down,” or “checking out,” there is some point for me, if I do it right, when the empty space filled by absence is replaced with a vague contentment bearing no trace of self-congratulatory smugness. As I said, I'm not exactly sure when this kicks in, but it's right around the point when I’m more aware of having checked into a healthier place than I am of having checked out of an unhealthy place. The magic of Shabbat is not just about being turned off by a world that doesn’t give us a moment to think our own thoughts. It's ultimately about being turned on by the chance to power up on a grid of our own making. I always tell people who are cynical about keeping Shabbat to remember that its protocols are simply reminders of how much more there is to us than whatever it is society deems best for us and instructs us to be.

Do yourself a favor this week. Take a Shabbat Challenge. Do it for an hour or two or five. If I could I would swear that you’ll feel like a huge boulder has been lifted from your shoulders. But I can’t, so you’ll just have to trust me on this and try for yourself.