Today we read Thomas Kelly’s writings on the busyness and complexity of our lives and the need to slow down in the midst of it. Kelly wrote that “a life of unhurried serenity and peace and power” was “vastly richer and deeper than all this hurried existence.” He wrote that “the problem we face today [is this]: Our lives in a modern city grow too complex and overcrowded…and before we know it we are bowed down with burdens, crushed under committees, strained, etc…” This man also believed that we often blame our busyness and complex lives on our environment rather than realizing that the real problem lies in our inner life.
Students remarked on how anxiety and busyness are still real problems today. Our culture, especially here at UVa, values busyness so much that it can seem almost impossible to slow down. In his writings, Thomas Kelly asks us “Do you long for Him, crave Him? Do you love His Presence?” He urges us to seek a “God-intoxicated life,” saying that “this life, this abiding peace that never fails, this serene power and unhurried conquest, inward conquest over ourselves is meant to be ours.” Students today were reminded of the importance of rest in the midst of our complex, busy lives. What God desires for all of us is to live lives filled with peace and rest in Him.
-Caroline Parsley, UVa '14