Camp Meeting 2025

“May I Have Your Attention, Please?”
Living Attentively in a Distracted World

2007. The key year. The year that the iPhone made itsappearance. Attention spans–across generations–were already declining. The advent of the iPhone only sped up the decline.

Where are we now? One website declares the following:
The average human attention span is only 8.25 seconds, which is less than the goldfish’s 9-second attention span.
It goes on to declare:
Attention span–the length of time a person can concentrate on a single task, activity, or stimulus–is a crucial aspect of cognitive functioning. It influences how we learn, work, and interact with our surroundings.

In addition, how much attention we give to God, to ourselves, and to others is indicative of our degree of spiritual, emotional, and relational health.

Facing the implications of such is made all the more sober when we read the words of the author, Will Schwalbe, who said: “The greatest gift you can give anyone is your undivided attention.”

“May I have your attention, please?” becomes, then, more than a simple request; it becomes an urgent need. But if we find ways to consistently say yes to that need, it will allow us to live attentively in a distracted world.

Will you say yes?