So this is the 6th of the 7 deadly sins and possibly one of the hardest to explain and understand. I have always had the idea sloth was just the embracing a state of laziness. In researching I found it has much deeper meaning in spiritual, emotional and physical ways.
In spirituality sloth shows itself in a lack of energy or focus on peoples duties to God. In our history we have always had a culture steeped in some form of spirituality. Whether Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Catholic, or any other religion we have always found a way to focus on teachings of loving one another and taking care of our neighbors. When I was in school we were taught the Golden Rule or treating others the way you would like to be treated. This was an early foundational brick for our schooling and society. This simple rule makes sense because no one I can think of would treat others like crap as they themselves would not want the same treatment. In recent years we have seen a huge spike in non-spiritual, agnostic, and atheist followers. We often hear the phrase "You don't need to believe in God to treat people right" which is true on its face. But early learning from the bible and other religious texts can give children the base to form habits which allow for good treatment of others. I personally think the under valuing of religion in our society has led to a great decline in treating others well and loving all humans.
Emotional sloth is the second way we see this today. It is most prevalent in diagnoses of depression and the higher rate of suicide due to that illness. In 2017 we saw 47,173 deaths from suicide. That is 14.5/100,000 people! Depression leads to apathy and apathy leads to isolation and thoughts of suicide. We have seen what was once a slow and steady rise in depression rates rise quickly since the year 2000. Has life gotten harder? With the creation of our newest technology we have seen huge reductions in the number of people being out and involved in their community. From dating apps to online shopping everything we used to do which allowed us to interact with others have been brought into our homes. Churches and other communal gathering places have been reduced thanks to the reduction of faith. The electronic and physical isolation prevents us from facing those around us who we should be caring about. This isolation also leads to depression and feelings of loneliness.
The physical sloth is laziness. We as a society have become more obese than ever before. This isn't due to us eating so well, it is the exact opposite. Because we can have any food we desire at any time and the quantity of the portions is much larger than anywhere else in the world we have become fat. Kids today do not go ride bikes, run around the neighborhood, and basically have become media sponges with video games and Netflix. Those things have led to a major increase in child obesity rates and child diabetes rates. As adult we are not much better. We tend to go into work and while sitting at our desks snack all day. Then go home and are too tired to cook so Ronald McDonald feeds us. Then we sit on our couch and binge Netflix or watch TV. This sedentary lifestyle has allowed us to become the fattest we have ever been. We don't go on walks, ride bikes, go on hikes, or any other activity that would help reduce those numbers.
So what can we do to prevent falling victim to these things? My solution starts with faith. Get involved with a church. Most churches have some form of scouting, get involved in that. Take time to spend with your families. Set aside one day every weekend to do something outside or that requires movement. Get to know your neighbors and don't be afraid to go ask if they need help with lawn maintenance, home projects, or any other tasks they may be doing. Have neighborhood BBQ's and make those connections. You will find by increasing activity and eating good home cooked food that your waistline might just start to shrink a little bit. If you are struggling with depression or feelings of not being enough or being unwanted please talk to someone. While suicide relieves the pain of the person it passes it onto the survivors left behind. Don't hesitate to reach out, someone will be there I promise. Sloths are amazing animals to see in zoos but being one at home is not something anyone needs!
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