大象传媒

Good morning.

A conversation with some of our parish young people recently
confirmed that just about the first thing they do everyday
is grab the smartphone that鈥檚 rung to wake them up
and start hanging out with their friends.
They might not be with them as such but over the course of the day
they will be posting and liking one another, captioning and commenting
almost constantly.
听
According to one article I saw
sociologists, advertisers, stock-market analysts and just about everyone
are desperate to know
what happens when a generation born glued to screens
has to look up and engage meaningfully and personally with the world.
For someone like me
who spends his life trying to bring people together for worship and fellowship the squeeze on real, face-to-face social interaction in our modern virtual age is something to be factored in.

And it鈥檚 not just young people.
Dare I say in particular danger, are those adults
whose work is propelled by a project or an ideal.
To be driven by a political or charitable cause,
by a scientific or business venture
or even in my case to be driven by faith,
is to run the risk of being consumed and absorbed
to the unhealthy exclusion of all other things and all other people.

I remember feeling quite shocked
when I first began to see how often Jesus found the opportunity
just to be with the ones he could talk and eat and drink with freely.
Rest and recovery have always shaped my own approach to Sabbath,
and yet I鈥檓 increasingly aware
that simply spending time with those I love and trust is an absolute lifeline.

Lord in the early morning stillness of this day
make us grateful for the ones who gladden our hearts and lighten our loads
whose very presence is a valve, a tonic and a blessing. Amen