A message from the Rector - The impersonal generation.

There have been lots of changes in the past several years, some of which have been very positive. Women have gone to work and have felt new fulfillment and, self respect and more confidence in themselves. Computers have allowed us to be constantly updated on the news of the world and have given us opportunities to learn about and explore a variety of topics. Email has enabled us to send messages to those whom we want to contact. Cell phones have made it possible for us to be in immediate contact with friends, families and emergency services. 

But, for all these wonderful developments there has been a negative side as well. Women have become more tired and have not been able to do all the things that they used to do. Couples used to be able to attend programs and functions in the church, for example that they now are unable to do because they don’t want to leave their kids alone. People are too tired to have dinner parties and spend time with friends. Adults and children spend hours on their computers instead of doing fun things together. People don’t write letters anymore. People communicate with email or text messages instead of having face to face conversations. We have lost personal contact with each other. Friendships have died because people don’t take the time to sit and talk.

All of our technology has had the bad effect of making us feel more lonely and empty inside. Instead of giving hugs, sharing our problems and crying on the shoulders of our friends we keep ourselves distant by using electronic communication. A whole generation is now growing up with no sense of what it is like to actually talk to each other.

I miss sitting down and sharing with you personally. I hate to send emails to you or get emails from you instead of us being together and talking. I miss seeing the expressions on people’s faces.  I hate only seeing you in church or while you are in the hospital, and not knowing when you are in pain because we don’t see each other more often. I miss the input of our young families when I lead a Bible Study or a program here at the church. I know you are all too busy to spend another evening out. We only communicate our thoughts now a days and not our feelings. Life has become impersonal And I fear that people have not only missed face to face communication with others but have also missed out on being in touch with God since God doesn’t email us or call us with his cell phone.

When I read the Scriptures and learn that Jesus lived and taught in close communication with his followers: that he was able to see the needs of others and could reach out and touch them.  People could see Jesus, they could see his face and the gestures that he made when he was talking. Jesus could sit and chat around a table, laugh and smile at jokes, listen to the stories of pain and joy with those who were there. We miss all that in our busy world.

I am not saying that we should throw away our computers or cell phones but let us make an attempt to draw closer to each other. Let’s stop texting each other or emailing each other so much and get back to personal conversations.

Think how different the last 2000 years would have been if Jesus hadn’t spent time talking and being present with other people. Think what it would have been like if Jesus only communicated his ideas via email or text message. Society would have missed so much. We would have missed so much. We would not know how much we are loved, or that we are forgiven or that God can reach out and touch us when we are hurting.

Let’s not lose sight of the fact that it is important to be with each other. Let’s have friends again. Let’s support each other by holding out our hands in love. Let’s stop being impersonal with each other. Let’s get back to falling on our knees and allowing God to speak to us as we pray.

Sometimes the “good old days” were really the “good old days.”