Hey PPN Family,

I hope that you all had a good and restful school holiday break.

In his book, “The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry,” John Mark Comer emphasises the need for us to slow down our lives in order for us to be at our best. Comer points out that we never read about Jesus running or walking in a hurry in the Bible. He concludes that the reason why Jesus never hurried, is because hurry is incompatible with love – and Jesus is love.

This thought resonates with me because I find that whenever I am in a hurry, I am impatient, grumpy, and irritable, all attitudes that are the polar opposites of love. In fact, I really struggle to show people genuine love whenever I am in a hurry, because my mind is too preoccupied with the next appointment that I am already running late for.

This is worrying, because as a society we are busier today than ever before, and busyness often disconnects us from God and others. That is why Corrie Ten Boom said that, “If the Devil can’t make us bad, he’ll make us busy.”

So, I invite you to join me on my current mission to eliminate hurry from my life. I am trying to walk slowly through life, just like Jesus did. In Matthew 11:28-30 (The Message Translation) Jesus gives us this invitation, “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace.”

If you’re feeling a bit tired, and disconnected, maybe it’s time to leave the “fast lane of life,” and follow Jesus in the slow, and unhurried, lane of love.

God bless,

Roland Talamaivao-Amituanai