Confucius, the oft-quoted Chinese teacher and philosopher said, “To put the world in order, we must first put the nation in order; to put the nation in order, we must first put the family in order; to put the family in order; we must cultivate our personal life; we must first set our hearts right.”

What a quaint expression—”to set our hearts right,” to order our hearts. It echoes the one for whom Christians celebrate the season, the one who said “seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness.” Is it possible to seek the kingdom, to put our hearts in order despite the business? Probably not without the requirement for other worthy pursuits, that of self-discipline.

Can we leave our shopping, our texting, our twittering, and our Facebooking for a few minutes a day during this season? Practice the quiet “to set our hearts right”?