By

Alone in a Crowded Room

Alone in a Crowd

I got an unexpected email from an old friend tonight.

It was so fun to reconnect.  I had thought of them so many times before.  Curious where they were.  How things were going.  How life had changed.  So many unanswered questions still.  Tonight brought some closure but left me feeling a bit empty too.  Wanting more.  Can a few lines in an email really close the distance?

I cant help but wonder how social media has redefined our relationships.  Have we lost depth?  Have we forgotten how to be still and find joy just from being in the presence of a true friend?

I was at dinner the other night and watched how many couples spend a significant portion of his or her time with their partner texting someone else.  I do the same.  We all do.  Why?

I cant help but wonder if the glimmering realm of interruption and distraction on the device that never leaves our hand impedes the sort of comprehension and retention that “deep reading” brings.  We’ve replaced books with summaries.  We’ve replaced relationships with “friends.”

Let me be clear…there is no more obsessed “early adopter” than myself.  I have 1.0 of every new piece of technology and app that lands in iTunes.  But I wonder about the consequences of my habits that abandon sustained immersion and concentration for the 140 character tweet.  What is gained and what is lost?

And it brings me to how it must surely effect my interaction with God.  We were designed for relationship.  Divine relationship.  God the Father, Spirit, and Son all existed perfectly in relation before time began.  There is no better example of His grace than when He invited us to join that relationship.

My digital life leaves me always wanting more.  It leaves me feeling alone in a crowded room.  It leaves me wanting something closer, deeper, special.  Something divine that I was created for.  They have offered me a seat at the eternal communion table.  The wedding feast.  My response…my RSVP deserves more than a “like.”

Idea.  Don’t just read someone’s “verse of the day” post on Facebook today and think you “meditated on the Word both day and night.”  Read the verse…take some time to read the chapter…and maybe even chase a cross reference or two.   You aren’t alone.

The following two tabs change content below.
My Twitter profileMy Facebook profile

drewdickens

Able to start a conversation with a phone pole. Adaptive extrovert, Disruptive thinker, Intuitive philosopher, Perceptive influencer, Idea futurist, Believer, and hater of labels. 😉 Follower of Jesus cleverly disguised as a husband, father, student, and friend.

Subscribe

Click here to notified when new articles are posted

Recent Posts