An hour without screens: “All things are lawful for me”
How many hours a day do you spend in front of a screen? Phone, computer, television, tablet: many of us go over six hours without realizing it. None of this is bad in itself, but the question is: who is in charge, you or them? This quest offers a simple test: one hour without any screen.
What it looks like in your day
Choose the hour. A realistic moment: the evening, before the meal, during a walk, Sunday afternoon. A full hour, without exception.
Prepare the ground. Put the devices out of sight: phone in another room, computer off, television unplugged. Let those who might look for you know.
Plan what to do. An hour without screens and without a plan can be uncomfortable. A few ideas:
- For God: prayer, Bible reading, silence, praise.
- For your loved ones: a board game, conversation, a meal prepared together, a walk, a story for the children.
- For yourself: paper reading, writing, drawing, walking, rest, cooking.
Get through the discomfort. In the first minutes, you may have reflexes: reaching for the phone, checking the time. Observe them without giving in.
Note what happens. How do you feel? Calmer, more nervous, more available? What did you notice? Did you miss this hour or did it set you free?
Decide what comes next. You can keep this hour as a daily or weekly appointment.
If you are short on time, an hour can fit in the morning before leaving or in the evening before sleeping. If you are shy, this challenge is discreet. If your work depends on screens, apply it outside of work. And if this hour does you good, don't hesitate to repeat it: many people make it a fixed appointment, for example Sunday afternoon, and say it changes their whole week.
What the Bible says
Paul sets out a principle of freedom:
“All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.”
“All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any”: a screen is neither a sin nor an evil. But Paul asks: am I free with regard to it? When I can't do without it, I am enslaved. The test lies in the ability to detach from it. He also writes that not everything builds up (1 Corinthians 10:23), and invites us to walk wisely, redeeming the time (Ephesians 5:15-16).
Pitfalls to avoid
Replacing one screen with another. If, without a screen, you get so bored that you turn on the television, nothing has changed. Plan something.
Demonizing screens. They serve many good things: calling a loved one, reading the Bible, working. The goal is freedom, not rejection.
Imposing on others. If you live with others, suggest, don't force.
Judging yourself if you fail. If you give in after twenty minutes, it is not a tragedy. Observe why, and start again.
Forgetting to nourish this hour. If you only “abstain,” the sense of lack will win out. Fill it with something good.
Today, choose an hour without screens. Devote it to God or to your loved ones.