In defense of less productive meetings

I'm sitting in a bookstore today, cup of coffee on the table next to the laptop, working on this and that. It's a local bookstore, with history and character and personality. Except for the time when the high school across the street is on lunch break, it's almost library-quiet in here. The people who frequent this establishment, at least when I'm here, aren't typically those who have somewhere to get to right away ~ there's space to sit, to read/write/work/relax.

Even still, though, I've heard at least a couple people walk by talking on cell phones arranging the next appointment or meeting. And we all know that away from here, there's a lot more of that happening. I think I understand it ~ we just want to be as efficient and productive as possible.

I want to put in a plea, though, for less efficiency. Sure, stuff still has to get done, and sometimes stuff even has to get done in a timely manner. But it seems like we've traded, gaining efficiency at the (perhaps unacknowledged) cost of relationships.

I wonder what would happen if we were less interested in getting something done, and more interested in spending time with each other? As a society we might be less productive, but I think we'd be more content, more satisfied, more joy-filled.

Which brings up the question, "What's more valuable ~ how do we measure value?"

Maybe I'll schedule more meetings where the agenda is simply to experience God's grace in the midst of community.

$0.02