The Attention Economy

Description

Today I am asking what kind of world our attention is building in us. We live in an “attention economy,” where so much is designed to make us stop, stare, scroll, subscribe, and keep coming back. Some of that can serve good things. A small Christian channel can now reach people all over the globe, and many first encounter New Church Live and Swedenborg’s theology that way. But attention can also turn into a treadmill, a constant “Hey, look at me,” pulling us away from connection, community, and the deeper work of regeneration. Swedenborg reminds us that spiritual growth needs imagination, because without imagination, or real curiosity, it’s impossible to regenerate. We have to be able to envision something beyond ourselves. Jesus points us there through service. Small service. Daily service. The quiet question, “How can I serve?” changes the whole center of gravity. It draws people together, helps us stop fighting only about what divides us, and clarifies what we are fighting for. So today I invite us to look honestly at our phones, our habits, and our hunger for attention, then take one simple step toward more connection, more use, and more love.