Put Down Your Smartphone and Grab Your Prayer Rope

In the head there is a constant, dry buzzing. It is not the noise of the street, but the echo of hundreds of headlines that have passed through the consciousness during the day. Reading the news has long ceased to be simply receiving information: it has turned into an exhausting addiction. There arises the feeling that if you put the smartphone down for an hour, something irreparable will happen and control over reality will be lost forever. But instead of control, we receive only paralyzing anxiety.

The modern information space drains the last reserves of strength. Consciousness resembles an old radio that no longer picks up a clear signal and only transmits the endless static. In this chaos of noise, the voice of God becomes almost imperceptible.

To restore inner silence, we must be instructed by someone who knows how to tune the “equipment” of the spirit under even harsher conditions—under fire and surrounded on all sides.

God’s Signalmen

During the Greek Civil War (1946–1949), St. Paisios the Athonite served as a military radio operator. On his shoulders rested the responsibility for communication between units. Arsenios Eznepidis (as he was known before his tonsure) knew well that, if he missed a transmission, it might cost an entire battalion its life.

Later in life, when he lived on the Holy Mountain, the Elder advised paying attention to the quality of reception in the heart. If the mind is filled to the brim with strident opinions and disturbing videos, there is no room left for the Divine signal. 

St. Paisios emphasizes that spiritual life begins where unnecessary curiosity ends: “A person must constantly take care that his ‘receiver’ is tuned to the right wavelength. If thoughts are confused and the heart is full of worldly cares, he cannot receive the Divine signals.”

We justify our addiction to the news by saying that we must “stay informed.” Yet it is easy to miss the moment when information turns into poison. When the air is filled with gossip, the divine will for a specific person at a given moment remains incomprehensible. Life passes in waiting for the news, while the main Gospel message remains unutilized.

The Machine of Good Thoughts

Every terrifying piece of news triggers an automatic reaction: condemnation or fear. It seems there is no other way. However, St. Paisios proposes a unique algorithm for processing every negativity, which he calls the “factory of good thoughts.” The saint says that a person is called to change the very chemistry of his perception.

The Elder teaches to use every news of suffering as an occasion for compassion, not for discussions. He teaches that an inner stance can disarm every evil coming from outside. Saint Paisios explains the mechanics of this process: “Think positively… Try to develop positive thoughts. It is more important for one to develop good thoughts to be guided by a spiritual father who is considered a living saint. A single positive thought equals a vigil on Mount Athos.”

In practice, this means prohibiting fruitless shuddering in front of the screen. Every piece of news must immediately become fuel for a brief prayer. Instead of angry discussions about the details of the tragedy in the comments, the Christian is called to say silently: “Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on these people.”

Thus, the flow of notifications turns into an electronic prayer rope. The evil that was supposed to poison through the screen suddenly encounters the “machine of good thoughts” and becomes a prayerful breath. This is the only way not to let the darkness settle inside oneself.

Fasting on Silence

It is hard to admit, but our gadgets have become more important than silence. We would rather fast from food than from our smartphones! Yet without voluntary “information fasting,” it is impossible to restore inner immunity. The signalmen at the outpost does not listen to music—he waits for the signal from the Center with full concentration.

The elder advises introducing “zones of silence” into life. Two hours without a screen are necessary for the soul to cool down and prevent overheating. In silence comes the realization that the world continues to turn according to the will of the Creator and not according to the will of the editors of anonymous channels. This is the space where the ability to hear God is restored. 

St. Paisios teaches us not to waste strength on pointless worries about things that do not depend on human will: “God helps where human powers fail. If a person has no connection with God through prayer, where will he find help and strength?”

He calls us to focus on the main channel of communication. The Elder emphasizes that panic is the result of a lack of trust in Heaven. If a person constantly checks the news, hoping to find guarantees of safety there, he sinks even deeper into the swampy state. The saint advises directing this attention inward: “Trust in God is unceasing prayer. When a person surrenders to God, then He is ‘obliged’ to help. God is a good Father; He never abandons His creation.”

Connection with the Heavenly Headquarters

Often in the soul there develops the feeling that chaos is final and uncontrollable. But for the believer, behind every historical “noise” we hear the movement of Providence. St. Paisios reminds us that panic is always a sign of a bad connection with Headquarters.

Calmness in current conditions is not indifference: it is faith. When peace is maintained within us, a person becomes a transmitter of that peace to those around him. This resembles the work of the radio, who through the noise transmits the most important code: Help is coming. 

The Elder directly points out the root of all fears: “Panic is a sign that a person hopes only in his own powers and human knowledge, forgetting the power of God.”

The saint calls us to become “spiritual signalmen,” reminding us of the victory that has already been accomplished. He says that joy in the Risen Christ must be stronger than any fear for tomorrow.

The smartphone screen in the pocket no longer seems so terrifying. Every new notification can now become not a cause for anxiety, but a signal for a brief prayer. In this way, we remain connected to the Heavenly Headquarters.

This article was originally published by the UOJ's Mount Athos bureau.

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