The Send Button-- Luke 6:37-42
Between Sunday school and church services I get a few hours of God time :-) That being said, I wish I could say that I really sat in the scripture from yesterday's sermon. However, I did not. I did continue along with the same school of thought the pastor took us on (preserve the things that matter).
That school of thought, strangely, led me to thoughts of technology today. Around a decade ago social media and text messaging were non existent. Email was gaining popularity as a means of communication, however, most communication was still done by telephone and hand written letters. Chances are, your main means of communication did not involve a send button.
The evolution of communication has brought us to a point that we feel if we feel it or think it then the entire world must know of it. We can broadcast it to the world instantly if we choose or we can simply "put someone in their place" with an email or text message. In other words, we no longer have to work for an action, meaning come face to face with someone (or voice to voice). This also moves into our culture where things are disposable. If they do not work to our liking, we can toss them aside without fixing them and just buy a new one. The send button (or friend button) has caused us to treat relationships as something disposable, something abstract, something that does not require much effort on our part.
In reflecting on why that was I found myself in Luke 6: 37-42. I encourage you to look it up but here is the passage I found myself reflecting on:
"How can you say to your brother, 'Brother let me take that speck out of your eye," when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye? you hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck that is in your brother's eye."
I am not saying that I am not guilty of doing this. I am more than guilty, but at least I will admit it. I have been a pretty harsh critic at times and I probably will be again. We are not perfect. And obviously, this is a habit we as humans have had for at least 2,000 years. The only difference between now and then is our judgments or opinions today can be broadcast instantly!
Don't agree? Well, how often today do we feel the need to "call someone out," or "confront them," or what I like to mockingly describe a "let me tell you something about you that you do not know" talking to? Our method of choice for this nowadays is usually email, messenger, text or facebook. How often do we fire off an email or text or facebook post in the heat of that emotion? Wow, it is scary how technology has made being a judgmental buffoon so simple! (I say this because I am guilty of it as well!)
Why do we do this? Simple, we want a one sided conversation. We want to be heard. We want to feel that our opinion and our word is final and reigns supreme. We want to confront but we do not want to do it personally because we do not want to listen. To listen would open up the potential that we could be wrong in our judgment or worse yet, it could shine a light on our own imperfections.
Oh that send button gives some instant gratification to our own needs. And in the heat of that moment that is what matters, our needs, right? We really do not care how our neighbor's speck got there in the first place. We do not care that it used to be a log and it has been widdled down over time. We just care that we are heard and we do not concern ourselves with the damage done after we hit that send button. Besides, if the damage is too bad we can just toss this friendship away and get a new one? That's how it works today, right?
Why do I make this a focus on that instant communication? Simple, when we have to take the time to actually call someone and have a conversation, usually that initial hello and small talk that leads in defuses those judgmental emotions. It opens the door for some sincere communication. It can take a hurtful and dangerous one sided conversation and turn it into a relationship growing moment. We just have to sacrifice that instant gratification the send button gives. We need to look at a bigger picture and understand that in spite of what the world tells us, it is not 'all about ME' it is more than that, 'it is all about US."
Again, I share this because it is my reflections of this passage and the past couple of days. I am not saying this because I am exempt, I am saying this because I am a part of this issue, as we all are. Maybe it is time to get back to basics and stop using send buttons and like buttons and friend buttons as means of passive aggressive emotional warfare. Maybe it is time we choose to treat our relationships as something that should be preserved and grown and not disposed of when it they do not work the way we want them to.
That school of thought, strangely, led me to thoughts of technology today. Around a decade ago social media and text messaging were non existent. Email was gaining popularity as a means of communication, however, most communication was still done by telephone and hand written letters. Chances are, your main means of communication did not involve a send button.
The evolution of communication has brought us to a point that we feel if we feel it or think it then the entire world must know of it. We can broadcast it to the world instantly if we choose or we can simply "put someone in their place" with an email or text message. In other words, we no longer have to work for an action, meaning come face to face with someone (or voice to voice). This also moves into our culture where things are disposable. If they do not work to our liking, we can toss them aside without fixing them and just buy a new one. The send button (or friend button) has caused us to treat relationships as something disposable, something abstract, something that does not require much effort on our part.
In reflecting on why that was I found myself in Luke 6: 37-42. I encourage you to look it up but here is the passage I found myself reflecting on:
"How can you say to your brother, 'Brother let me take that speck out of your eye," when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye? you hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck that is in your brother's eye."
I am not saying that I am not guilty of doing this. I am more than guilty, but at least I will admit it. I have been a pretty harsh critic at times and I probably will be again. We are not perfect. And obviously, this is a habit we as humans have had for at least 2,000 years. The only difference between now and then is our judgments or opinions today can be broadcast instantly!
Don't agree? Well, how often today do we feel the need to "call someone out," or "confront them," or what I like to mockingly describe a "let me tell you something about you that you do not know" talking to? Our method of choice for this nowadays is usually email, messenger, text or facebook. How often do we fire off an email or text or facebook post in the heat of that emotion? Wow, it is scary how technology has made being a judgmental buffoon so simple! (I say this because I am guilty of it as well!)
Why do we do this? Simple, we want a one sided conversation. We want to be heard. We want to feel that our opinion and our word is final and reigns supreme. We want to confront but we do not want to do it personally because we do not want to listen. To listen would open up the potential that we could be wrong in our judgment or worse yet, it could shine a light on our own imperfections.
Oh that send button gives some instant gratification to our own needs. And in the heat of that moment that is what matters, our needs, right? We really do not care how our neighbor's speck got there in the first place. We do not care that it used to be a log and it has been widdled down over time. We just care that we are heard and we do not concern ourselves with the damage done after we hit that send button. Besides, if the damage is too bad we can just toss this friendship away and get a new one? That's how it works today, right?
Why do I make this a focus on that instant communication? Simple, when we have to take the time to actually call someone and have a conversation, usually that initial hello and small talk that leads in defuses those judgmental emotions. It opens the door for some sincere communication. It can take a hurtful and dangerous one sided conversation and turn it into a relationship growing moment. We just have to sacrifice that instant gratification the send button gives. We need to look at a bigger picture and understand that in spite of what the world tells us, it is not 'all about ME' it is more than that, 'it is all about US."
Again, I share this because it is my reflections of this passage and the past couple of days. I am not saying this because I am exempt, I am saying this because I am a part of this issue, as we all are. Maybe it is time to get back to basics and stop using send buttons and like buttons and friend buttons as means of passive aggressive emotional warfare. Maybe it is time we choose to treat our relationships as something that should be preserved and grown and not disposed of when it they do not work the way we want them to.
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