The irony of the 21st Century is that we are more
connected than ever, yet we remain more and more isolated. We can look at a smart phone and catch the
news from the other side of the planet, yet the relationship with our neighbor
consists only of a nod on the way to work.
At the grocery store, I appreciate the convenience of the automated
check-out, but listening to the mechanical voice, I wonder if I’m missing
something. While living in the fifth
largest city in the U.S., we can actually make it through the day without
talking to an actual human being.
An interesting exercise for the modern family is to count
screens. If I count everything from
televisions, laptops, or even hand-held games, there are many more screens than
people in my home. Each one beckons me
away from interacting with the people with whom I live and love. Even the promise of social media is
fleeting. It can certainly enhance
existing relationships. However, the
same Facebook page which shares baby pictures with a grandparent can also speed
up a marital break-up.
In the 19th Century, textile artisans in England
protested against the technical changes of the industrial revolution by
destroying mechanized looms. The
Luddites feared that a way of life was passing away. They had legitimate fears, but their actions
were violent and ineffectual. For the
modern Luddite, there are plenty of fears in our brave new world. We live in a media bubble of our own
design. We listen only to the voices
that we want. This isolation can lead to
loneliness or even the inability to interact with someone who disagrees. I don’t suspect that there will be pickets
outside the Apple Store any time soon, and frankly, I like this age of communication
and instantaneous information. How then
do we respond?
God has already given a response: Pentecost.
After the resurrection and the ascension of Jesus, the disciples were
gathered together. Suddenly, a violent
wind blew through the place. The Holy
Spirit settled upon them making the disciples one body of believers. By God’s action, the Church became a
reality. However, the Church was never
meant to be another interest group isolated from the rest of the world. Pilgrims visiting Jerusalem from all over the
known world noticed the commotion. From
the disciples of Jesus Christ, they suddenly heard God’s praises each one in
his or her own language.
Pentecost affirmed God’s observation back in Genesis, “It is
not good for man (or woman) to be alone.”
Jesus’ life and ministry demand that the Church must be focused
outward. We are called to love God and
to love neighbor. As society or technology
attempts to pull people apart, we are ministers of reconciliation. That might mean using an e-mail to encourage
a friend, or it might mean turning off the computer to care physically for
another. We reject the loneliness, and
take interest in the people around us.
Together, we might hear God’s praises in our own language.
Grace & Peace,
James
