It has been my observation that emails are much more hazardous to our welfare than snail-mail or face to face communication. When we write a letter for the postman to deliver usually some time passes before we get it in the mailbox. It lies on the kitchen counter waiting to be mailed. We have time to reconsider what we have said and how we have said it and we can rethink whether or not to send it. When we talk face to face with people we can see each other’s facial expressions and body language. Often we soften what we say in those personal encounters. But email can be sent almost instantaneously. In a fit of anger or displeasure we can spill out our venom and send it without much consideration and once sent it cannot be recalled. We didn’t get to see a person’s face only a computer screen.
I have thought a lot about sending messages to God. Having gone to church all my life I have heard a lot of prayers. While I don’t think they are hazardous to our welfare I’m not sure how effective they are. Most public prayer isn’t really talking to God it’s just another kind of preaching. Often we seem more interested in impressing the humans who are listening than God. Often we lie to God and tell Him we love Him when we are actually very upset with Him for allowing some tragedy in our lives. I think we are afraid to open up lest we get struck by lightning. We won’t. Maybe praying would be easier if we could actually see God face to face. We could talk to Him as a friend if we could see Him.
Communication is the heart of all relationships and most often the hardest, most difficult thing we have to do.
Written by Roger Bothwell on September 16, 2009
Spring of Life Ministry, PO Box 124, St. Helena, CA 94574