Paying attention

The practice of paying attention really does take time. Most of us move so quickly that our surroundings become no more than the blurred scenery we fly past on our way to somewhere else. We pay attention to the speedometer, the wristwatch, the cell phone, the list of things to do, all of which feed our illusion that life is manageable. Meanwhile, none of them meets the first criteria for reverence, which is to remind us that we are not gods. If anything these devices sustain the illusion that we might yet be gods -- if only we could find some way to do more faster.

Barbara Brown TaylorAn Altar in the World