Is it time to give up the farm?

 
As we near the end of Lent I am amazed at how many people I have spoken to who have given up Facebook for Lent. A large number of them gave it up because they were spending and inordinate amount of time on the games: farmville, mafia, etc. I can relate to some degree. I had a Farmville phase at one point. For those of you who aren’t aware via a Facebook application you can build yourself a virtual farm and even send friends cows, chickens, trees, etc. During my short lived addiction I got few virtual acres, planted a few trees, some livestock, a cabin, a barn, a chicken coup and a few other odds and ends. I found myself anxiously checking and awaiting my next harvest so I could buy something else to add to my farm. At the time I was playing I had pretty much maxed out my options and got bored. I have no business going back now because there are a plethora of purchases that could suck me right back into my virtual addiction.
 
I have discovered through conversations about Lent that others find online games and social networking problematic. A good friend and a fellow blogger, Rev. Dr. Kathleen Weller posted a wonderful reflection on her blog The Celtic Monk about her Farmville experience and her decision to give up the farm  To read the article click here.  Kathleen is an ordained ministry and director of the Peace River Spirtuality Center.  I love her blog and encourage you to check out some of her other posts. She has a refreshingly spiritual eye for the world around her. She sees and and encounters God in some of the simplest daily moments.  I have invited Kathleen to do either an interview or a guest post some time.  She has agreed to do so when her schedule permits and the timing feels like God’s timing.  I look forward to that blessing.
 
In the meantime, if you are feeling entirely too sucked into your status line or harvest time, take a break and read her Farmville article. If her story sounds hauntingly familiar, then may be it’s time for you to consider giving up the farm as well.