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How phone calls disrupt others during prayers
What you need to know:
- Then there is a category of those who answer phone calls during prayers, while others are on WhatsApp. This is giving God half-baked attention!
As we sat in total silence, listening to a priest give a homily during Mass recently, someone’s phone, who was seated right in front of me, gave a loud wail.
Apart from that unexpected rough noise that leaves the mind somewhat in ‘mild shock’, the people around him, me inclusive became uneasy.
Our attention was briefly disrupted by the phone call for a few seconds, as we watched him panickingly put it in silent mode. But you should have seen the gaze of those around him.
They looked at him with these eyes of; ‘Guy, really! You mean you don’t know your phone is supposed to be in silent mode when you are coming to church?”
Those loud phone rings take away peoples’ attention, and they are likely to miss out part of the message the priest, or any other preacher, is sharing.
Such phone calls don’t only disrupt those around you, but yourself too. First of all, it leaves you in panic mode, as you put it in silence, but also the guilt you feel when you realise other peoples’ gaze is on you, as they are silently blaming you for unsettling their attention from the priest/preacher.
This was not the first time. On few occasions, I have heard peoples’ phones ring during prayers, and you can see the uneasiness in peoples’ eyes, and body language.
Then there is a category of those who answer phone calls during prayers, while others are on WhatsApp. This is giving God half-baked attention!
What mesmerises me is that for most of us, when we are in our office meetings, our phones are in silence, vibration mode, or we leave them behind on our desks.
I know phones are our other ‘best friends’ as we are with them 24/7, aiding us in doing our work, running businesses, and scrolling through all social media platforms to keep up with the world.
I won’t dictate how you use your phones, because that is none of my business.
But when we go to places of worship, can we please endeavour to minimise the disruption caused by phones, at least in consideration for other members of the congregation. We can put the phones in silence, switch them off, or leave them at home or office.
This scenario is almost similar to this scripture: Mathew 5:30. “And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell.”
For instance, in the Roman Catholic Church, Mass lasts only one hour, you surely can go an hour without a phone, wouldn’t you? Let people spend quality time with God when they come for prayers. There are many places they would rather be, but at that particular time, they have chosen to be in church, don’t disrupt them.
Remember, time spent in the presence of God is never wasted but rather an investment into your future. God gives us what it takes to face tomorrow. I know as human beings, we need reminders here and there. This is another reminder, please when you go to church, leave your phone in silence or switch it off to avoid disrupting others when they are praying.
Actually, in most places of worship, they put notices at the entrance of the churches reading as follows: “Please put your phones in silence, or switch them off when entering the church”. Take action.
Vivian Agaba, journalist, and consultant writer/editor
