During the pandemic, many of us turned to smartphones and screens to manage our stress. But as public life opens up again, some are looking for a different kind of escape.

At a cafe in Seoul, South Korea, called the Green Lab, patrons pay for timeslots to simply sit and do nothing. That’s right--they pay to do nothing. The Green Lab requires that no one is allowed to speak and all phones be turned off. A large glass window looks out onto a green forest and diffusers around the cafe release pleasing aromas. And every day, the three time slots are completely booked.

What we call “zoning out,” Koreans call “hitting mung”--allowing their minds to be completely blank.

A customer in her early thirties says, “I’ve been so tired, and I don’t even have time to space out. After work, I go home, and I have to do housework, and then I barely have 30 minutes to an hour before I need to sleep. I spend that time on my phone. So, with a space like this, I can actually focus on taking a break.”

A business owner reflected, “It made space in my brain. I even read a book, enjoyed the smell of diffusers, looked at flowers, wrote poetry. I started getting new ideas, one by one, and I felt so refreshed.”

Possible Preaching Angle:

Work, family, responsibilities constantly ask for our attention. Many can identify with the need for a space to do absolutely nothing. Jesus experienced this and modelled retreating to quiet places to rest and reconnect with his heavenly Father.