Recently I came across the ‘Gorilla Experiment.’ If you have never heard of it and want to check it out before I spoil it for you forever, go watch on YouTube and then return to read on.

A group of basketball players are asked to watch a video of two groups of people, one wearing white T-shirts, the other black T-shirts. They are to count the number of passes between those in white T-shirts and ignore the other passes. After giving their answers, they were asked, ‘did you see the Gorilla?’ Over 50% missed the Gorilla who walked across the screen because they were so focused on the ball passing between the people with white T-shirts.

I wonder how often we charge through life frantically faithful to the role(s) we have been given, eyes ahead, no time for interruptions or diversions. Or perhaps we are juggling several balls in the air, having forgotten NO is a complete sentence and therefore are over-committed, missing our ordinary everyday life, failing to see the people in our path and missing the drops of joy interspersed in our seemingly mundane lives.

I guess the question I am asking is, what are you paying attention to?

Social Media? Waiting for likes and comments, comparing yourselves to a curated version of someone giving the impression of beauty and perfection.

Are you so busy trying to get your own point of view across that you fail to pay attention to the wise friend who has simplicity of words but when they speak it is pure gold? Listening to hear their story and understand rather than crafting a response so they know your opinion.

Maybe you are so focused on fitness, steps, speed, times or competition that you fail to notice the beauty of creation all around or miss the opportunity to stop and enjoy an unexpected chat with someone passing by?

Is work a tick box exercise, a list of tasks to be worked through, head down and without time to listen to the colleague across the desk who is hurting?

Back to Mr Gorilla, many missed him because they weren’t paying attention but some also failed to notice as they were not expecting to see a Gorilla 🦍 I wonder do our expectations sometimes limit our view?

One of the many things I love about Jesus when you read the Gospels is how He was always paying attention and seemed to expect the unexpected. So many of His encounters were interruptions that we often rush past or avoid in the need to get somewhere else at top speed because so many of us hate interruptions.

Did you know there is now a diagnosis of ‘hurry sickness’? We live a life with no space for interruptions and the unexpected.

Our culture is all about goals, results, achievements, being ‘true to yourself ‘, and making sure you live the way you want, often without regard for others or even having time to hear what they think or say.

As usual, Jesus turns this upside down. Here are a few words of wisdom found in the Bible.

Honour one another above yourself, paying attention to the fact that people deserve respect, treating them how we would like to be treated.

Be devoted to one another, paying attention to the value of other people, giving generously of our time and our words.

Bless those who persecute you, bless and do not curse, paying attention to the words you speak and seeking peace and reconciliation rather than revenge and destruction.

Encourage one another, paying attention to building others up rather than competing, comparing and criticising. Celebrating their victories and pulling them up to try again when things fail.

We are asked to love, love who I hear you say, everybody, always, anyway, paying attention to a love that is not a feeling but an action, at times sacrificial but then Jesus showed His love with the ultimate sacrifice of giving His life for ours.

In truth, it is hard to truly love when you are always in a rush, so stop, look around, be present in the moment and enjoy the beauty in front of you, the ironing ( or whatever else it is) will be there later but you may never have another chance to enjoy the rainbow, chat to the unexpected friend, encourage the brokenhearted or love the one who feels unloved. ♥️