My friend Juanita mentioned an idea in a small group the other day about kids nowadays having a ‘nature deficit’. This idea really started to get my mind going. And it made me wonder what this has to do if anything with our holiness adventure in regards to our personal walk and the future of our children.
First, let me give you some info on the non-official definition of nature-deficit disorder brought to you from wikipedia:
“Nature Deficit Disorder, a term coined by Richard Louv in his 2005 book Last Child in the Woods, refers to the alleged trend[1] that children are spending less time outdoors,[2] resulting in a wide range of behavioral problems.[3] Louv claims that causes for the phenomenon include parental fears, restricted access to natural areas, and the lure of the screen.[4] Recent research has drawn a further contrast between the declining number of National Park visits in the United States and increasing consumption of electronic media by children.[5]”
I think that ALL of that somehow connects with the lack of holiness in our culture. Parents being afraid to let their kids outside, destruction of nature to the point that it is not accesable to the masses, and oh yes, the addictive qualities of the ‘screen’. That will be one of my new favorite terms – lure of the screen.
Not only do kids suffer from nature-deficit, so do adults. In fact, I think mine gets worse everday. I used to be very ‘out-doorsy’ thanks to the cheapness of family vacations, and pure nothing else to do but go play outside with my friends. The closest thing I do that gets me to nature nowadays is a walk around my very suburban, rural block.
I think that one vital way to develop our holiness is to be good stewards of God’s creation AND to enjoy it. As Juanita pointed it, this means hiking without your ‘earbuds’ in, so that you can ‘hear’ the nature around you. I think it means setting aside specific time to learn about nature and recognizing God’s amazing masterpiece that is all around us. And possibly, it means helping people who might not have access to ‘green’ space or national parks – get them out of the city.
So, friends, in the midst of this never-ending winter – get out of your house and enjoy the nature around you. Ask God to reveal Himself to you through His creation. And please give kids (and adults) a chance to get peeled away from the screen. And, maybe you need to ask yourself the tough question: do I have nature-deficit disorder and does it affect my stewardship of God’s creation?
heralding the good news.
catherine