Is busyness a sin?
Image courtesy of Time online
Most of us lead overly busy lives. We cram errands and chores and “quality time” with our kids into the same few hours that we’re not at work or school or doing other equally necessary things. Many of us accomplish all that we need to do in 24 hours by multitasking, or doing more than one thing at a time.
But while I was driving around doing errands and playing chauffeur to my kids the other day, I happened to hear an NPR story about multitasking that suggests that (a) it’s not nearly as efficient or effective as we think it is and (b) it is simply not something our brains are wired to do. When we think we’re doing two things simultaneously, we’re really switching quickly back and forth between them, leading to lost time (while our brains make the to-and-fro adjustments) and increased stress.
Leaving aside the question of whether listening to the radio and coming up with a blog post while driving counts as multitasking, I’d like to consider the spiritual ramifications of this kind of life. Khalid Shah’s recent post about the perspective given by the Qu’ran on the passage of time and Aroona Toor’s post about being too busy to properly celebrate the Muslim holiday Eid Ul-Fitr also contributed to my thoughts on this topic, and I commend them.
Obviously “busyness” isn’t on any of the traditional lists of sin: anger, sloth, gluttony, and so on. Possibly, though, it could be seen as a subset of idolatry, if you were looking to fit it into the classic categories. But I think it’s okay to see things more broadly than that. The Episcopal Church’s Book of Common Prayer has a catechism in it, also called an Outline of the Faith. It is a short series of questions and answers about major issues of faith. Under the question “What is sin?” the answer reads,
“Sin is the seeking of our own will instead of the will of God, thus distorting our relationship with God, with other people, and with all creation.”
Given that definition, I don’t see how I could argue that busyness is not a sin. Being overly busy most certainly does distort my relationship with God, with other people, and with all creation. I get cranky with my husband and my kids. I stop at fast food places rather than making a simple, nutritious meal. I neglect to make time for prayer, and even spend time in worship thinking about what’s next on my to-do list. Ouch–that’s a hard one to admit, but it happens.
If I’m truly seeking God’s will, I will probably begin to recognize that some of the things I think I have to do are really optional, thus making space for the actions and relationships that bring me closer to the life God wants for me. How about you? Any thoughts on busyness and sin?
Pamela Dolan is on staff at Emmanuel Episcopal Church in Webster Groves and is a Candidate for Holy Orders. After high school in Hawaii and college in California, she earned a master's degree in theology from Harvard before spending several years in New York studying medieval religion and literature. Pamela is married with two children. 
Great post. My two cents: Keeping busy with doing one’s daily duty is a great way to avoid sin.