Have you ever found yourself blankly staring out a window? I’m not talking about looking out at the view in order to take it all in. I’m talking about looking out into the void without looking for anything in particular. As far back as I can remember, this has been a practice of mine. Every now and again, I find myself looking out my office window through the slats of my blinds at nothing in particular.
The first time I realized what I was doing was about nine years ago when I was working at First Baptist Church in St Albans, West Virginia. My office had a window that spanned about two-thirds the length of one wall. One would be tempted to assume that such a large window would be accompanied by an incredible view. One would be wrong. This window gave me a crystal-clear view of the institutional tan brick of the wall of our Family Life Center. If I got the angle just right in my chair I had a pretty good view of our three-tiered parking lot, but that was about as good as it got.
I began to understand that rather than being a waste of time, that blank space was a sacred space God had provided for my own good.
Initially, it stressed me out when I would catch myself gazing across the alley into the great tan abyss. I had things to do. There were messages to be studied for and written, emails that needed responses, phone calls that needed returned, text messages that needed composed, events that needed planned and promoted, social media accounts that needed managed, books that needed read, curriculum that needed adapted and edited… The list goes on and on and it all needed done TODAY! I didn’t have five minutes to sit idly staring out the window! That’s when it hit me, while I felt I didn’t have time to stare out the window, it was exactly what I needed. I didn’t need an epic view to consider. I didn’t need something entertaining to engage me. I needed some blank space to stare at so my mind could reset and refocus. I began to understand that rather than being a waste of time, that blank space was a sacred space God had provided for my own good.
My favorite picture of Jesus has to be one of the most popular pictures of Jesus. It has been present at every church at which I have attended or served and I have seen it in every country I have visited. This picture, while unreasonably Caucasian, presents Jesus from the shoulders up, staring off into the distance. I’m sure the artist was intending to imply that Christ was looking thoughtfully to the heavens in prayer. While that certainly may be the case, we don’t have to assume that Jesus was presenting an internal monologue to the Father. I actually like to think that Jesus is staring off into nowhere, enjoying the simplicity of a quiet moment alone, resting in the beauty of the blank space His Father had provided.
I believe many of us are on information and activity overload. I believe what many of us need is a few minutes to stare out the window.
Our lives are so saturated with activity and engagement. Thanks to the advent of cellphones and the internet, we are “ON” all the time. Work, school, and social circles are ever-present and we often fall into the trap of believing that they need and/or deserve our immediate attention. As if that weren’t enough, we can’t even drive down the street without being confronted by a constant stream of billboards and signs vying for the small amount of available attention that might be available while we drive. Much like a computer, our minds can only handle so much information. I believe many of us are on information and activity overload. I believe what many of us need is a few minutes to stare out the window.
I still stare out my window periodically. Instead of looking out at a big tan wall, I look across the street at a brown privacy fence. And as I gaze at nothing of consequence, I thank God for quiet moments and blank space.
