TURN ON, TUNE IN, DROP OUT

 "Turn on, tune in, drop out" is a counterculture phrase popularized by Timothy Leary in the 1960s. Leary was an early advocate of LSD experimentation. He taught psychology at Harvard, and by 1960 was experimenting with hallucinogenic drugs - first on prison inmates, then on himself and his friends. At one time, President Richard Nixon called him "the most dangerous man in America."  Leary formed the "League of Spiritual Discovery", an LSD advocacy group, and spent some time in prison on various drug charges.

I have no idea why the  "Turn on, tune in, drop out" phrase came to my mind this morning, and I want to assure you that it is not due to a flashback from a bad acid trip during my college days. Just to clarify - there were no acid trips whatsoever during my college years or at any other time in my life. For some strange reason, this phrase came to mind as I was thinking about the importance of  regular time spent in the word of God. Without apology to the departed Dr. Leary, I am going to "borrow" his phrase and perhaps give new meaning to his words.

Turn On     

Think about turning on a radio, television, iPod, or a kitchen appliance. This is most often an act of the will, is it not? The act of turning these devices on is a most often a choice. And why do we choose to turn on these devices? We do so because we want something. In these examples, what is wanted might be information, entertainment, instruction, or a good meal.

How do we "turn on" the word of God? We open the Bible, and read it.  It sounds so simple, doesn't it? I have found that there can be a huge difference between simple and easy.  It seems that there a thousand and one things that will keep me from reading the Bible - fatigue, being "too busy", the morning newspaper, the distractions of a long "to do" list... The reality is that, just as it is with the devices mentioned above, I will "turn on" the word of God if I truly want instruction, wisdom, and direction. 

Tune In         

We tune in the word of God by asking the Holy Spirit, who is already within (John 14:17), to give us understanding.  The Spirit is our "truth guide" (John 16:13). A good friend of mine laments the neglect of the Holy Spirit by the body of Christ, contending that we hear very little about the role of the Spirit in the believer's life. He may be right, and I know that the Holy Spirit is instrumental in "tuning in" the message and application of the divinely inspired word.

Drop Out

I am not suggesting we live in a monastery, nor am I starting a cult where we drop out of society and live together on a ranch in Montana. I believe that it is necessary for the believer to "drop out" of the fast-paced routines of life, and sit quietly, alone with the Lord and His word. This is actually part of the "tuning in" process.

All day long, day after day, the world sends us messages that corrupt our thinking about what is true relative to who we are, why we exist, what leads to happiness and joy, what a family is, what a woman should look like... Most of these messages are lies, and dropping out gives us the opportunity to reconnect with the truth, and the Author of truth. Jesus himself would often go away to a quiet place, apart from the crowds, so that he could pray and talk to the Father.

Remember that "dropping out" is not the same as "spacing out". My sister-law once said, "I just want to sit at home and stare." I think she meant "space out" - that state we are all in from time to time where the mind just wanders around from thought to unrelated thought, never settling. That's not what I mean when I say we need to "drop out". For me, my drop out times are when I can read from the Bible, think about the meaning and application to my life (with the help of the "Truth Guide"), and prepare myself for the challenge of the day that awaits me.

Timothy Leary's 1960's advice to "Turn on, tune in, drop out" was all about a wild ride along the edges of insanity. For a follower of Jesus Christ, it's about living a life that is pleasing to God, according to His word, and in the power of the Spirit.

May it be so...

In Christ -

John

Soli Deo Gloria