Relationships and Truth

A good friend posted on his blog concerning relationships.  I think he is right in his observation about how we crave relationships with people.  We desire to be connected to one another.  Many of our technology gadgets these days tap into that hunger.  Between Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, Texting, E-Mails, and Blogs, we can all be connected to one another.  It’s great that I can follow friends on Twitter.  It may not be interesting to know where there are for lunch, what they just ordered, and then how it tasted.  The trouble with these gadgets is they become a barrier to real relationships.

When I moved to Durham I got a new phone.  I picked up a Blackberry.  I like it, it is certainly convenient.  The salesman was telling me that I could e-mail, text, Instant Message, use Twitter, use Facebook, etc. on the device.  He said “it is great for staying connected to other people.”  I said jokingly, “can I also talk to someone on it?”  As if all these mediums of communication the device allows are the primary reason to have it.  I wondered what ever happened to having a conversation?

Many of our young people today (and older people) don’t know how to communicate with each other in face to face conversations.  They are together, with earbuds in, cell phone in hand, and are texting to their friends.  They don’t turn off the music and put away the phone long enough to speak to each other face to face.  They love being connected to each other, but these electronics hamper real connections.

I have been praying about things for our church.  Looking at ways of reaching our community.  Two needs stand out in my mind.  People are looking for relationships and they are looking for truth.  We all crave genuine relationships with others.  The busier our lives get the more we need these real connections with one another.  Not Tweets or Texts, but talking with each other.  People are also looking for truth.  We hear so much opinions and debate about weighty matters.  People want to know the truth.

It is in the Christ that these can be found.  When you follow Christ, you are connected to Him and connected to millions of new brothers and sisters around the world.  You come to know Truth when follow Jesus.  Then you should become part of a local group of Jesus followers.  There, you can develop genuine relationships with others.  Jesus told us to love one another.  In a local church, you can hear truth preached and taught.  It is the place Jesus has given us to meet two of these basic needs in our life.

I am thankful for the technology that allows me to share this in a blog, in Facebook, and an e-mail!