29 May | Youth
«The days of our lives are [...] soon cut off, and we fly away.» Psalm 90:10</p>
The world is moving fast. With the advancement of science, things are faster and faster, and routine seems to swallow us. We live hyperlinked and, at the same time, disconnected from time and space. In the fight between ON and OFF, we follow the relentless ticking of the clock, fragmented in front of the screens of life. The impression is that we are watching in the rearview mirror the farewell to existence itself which, like fog, disappears before our eyes.
It took 400 years for the printing press to take off and 50 years for the telephone to reach a mass audience. The cell phone, in turn, reached a global audience in three years, the same time needed for social networks to blow up. Nowadays, major changes in the area of technology appear in the same year and surprise us with their social impact. Anyone who has used a pay phone, telegram and overhead projector can confirm that “life goes by quickly”!
Today’s verse was taken from Psalm 90, the oldest in the Bible, written by Moses around 1450 BC. However, it seems like it was written today, by someone who knows our reality. Inspired by God, Moses contrasts divine eternity with human transience and invites us to base our lives on the goodness and love of God. He prays: “So teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom” (Ps. 90:12).
How have you been living your few days here? What legacy are you leaving for your family and society? Value people more and eliminate resentment from your heart. Focus on the Good things in life, not the problems and difficulties. Stop wasting time on things that do not ennoble or build. Read good books. Write constructive texts. And be careful not to waste your youth watching series or seeing photos on social media. Life is more important than that, and the people around you need you.
The clocks changed the time. Paper changed memory. The compass changed space. The internet has changed reality. What cannot happen is all of this changing your relationship with the Lord of life. Learn to “fly” happily through existence, and you will prove that your life was really worth it.