On Social Media and Silence

A moment of quiet by the water

They come in with greetings and dessert. We have kept things simple and ordered pizza. Words flow and children run. We sit and break bread and the baby gnaws on a pizza "bone." I sit and I am thankful. Thankful for connection, for fellowship, for broken bread. This building of relationships and this making of connections isn't easy. It takes time and time is costly. Yet, what are we doing if not this? If we aren't building into our families, into others, into the kingdom what are we building into?

I have taken a short hiatus from social media and I thought perhaps I would have much to say on a number of topics but really what I have is silence. No bubbling up of ideas or information...just quiet. A quiet realization that what happens in the now is more important than living out life via other peoples' presented realities. Don't get me wrong...I love social media I do. Yet, when I stepped away I realized I want more. I want more than status updates and pictures of birthday parties.

 Sometimes I substitute "instant" relationships for deep community. What I am left with is a wide breath of "knowing" on the surface and a lack of roots in real, authentic face to face interaction. I want and need deep community. In order for that to happen I need to dig deep and pour out into the building of the now. I need to pursue those who God has placed right in front of me. I need to put down my smart phone and pick up my calendar and intentionally build in time for relationships. So for now I am going to sit in this quiet and think about the pursuing and let the God given need dwell.