As far as the world goes, it’s been a weird week. There was the President’s address about Syria, which is troublesome no matter which side you’re on, and then the somber remembrance of 9/11 right on the heels of it. It seems there is a rumble just under the surface of the earth, a groaning that’s threatening to explode.
I just read about a friend’s day at her place of business. It was the day of their biggest sale of the year, and when they arrived, ready to greet the masses, they found that there was construction happening around them that had unintentionally shut down the Internet to all the businesses within a certain radius. Their entire business is run by orders placed online, payments made online, EVERYTHING done ONLINE.
Do you feel the anxiety?
Truly, I can’t make it through the day without Googling something. Really, probably the hour. The work I do for Kevin is online. My banking is online. I pay all my bills online. I talk to my grandbabies through FaceTime, online. I write to you everyday online. Then there’s Facebook, and Instagram, and Twitter, and…
We do EVERY LITTLE THING ONLINE.
What if we were knocked OFFline? What if it was taken away completely? We don’t know what will happen in the coming years, and the idea of war reaching our shores is more imaginable than it ever has been. I’m not trying to be the voice of gloom and doom, but the world climate seems ripe for it. If that happened, and we were knocked off that on which we’ve come to rely, my guess is that it would be utter chaos, making us easy fodder for an enemy. We’d very quickly come to realize that we’d been standing on shifting sand.
Maybe it wouldn’t be such a bad idea to mark this weird week with a readjustment. Maybe by treating the Internet like the tool it is, and not substituting it for creativity, human interaction, ingenuity and plain old common sense, we could honor those who have already died on our soil. We could start rebuilding our current shifting foundation on that which is unshakable, and can never be taken away, even in the midst of chaos.
The wise man built his house upon the Rock. It’s time for us to wise up, too.
“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.” Matthew 7:4 ESV
“Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you? Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you what he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built.” Luke 6:46-48 ESV
“He alone is my rock and my salvation,my fortress where I will not be shaken.” Psalm 62:6 NLT
This post reads like a Christian political commentary. As wonderful and valuable as the internet has become to companies, individuals and the world, we have to stop and ask ourselves if it is becoming like a god to us. I find myself going to my computer first thing of a morning and my devotional time with God second. This post is a wake up call for me.
I agree with Aunt Sharon as I write to u and talk to her thru text and fb messages. I live less 5 miles. That is pathetic.
I love ur post and I got away from reading them everyday like I was when I was out of work. Now I go thru the daily work process stress out or with anxity over a job that does allow breaks and the pay is horribleand so is the insurance. Seems they r focusing on the “great customer service shift” and forget about there employees. We should be part of it….empathy, kindness, etc. I work so hard thru the day I look up and it is time to go. I feel I didn’t I made a dent and then the reports come out to show numbers which is what they look at as a measure. One thing is for sure as that I am out of th loop with the world other than my own cacoon. We won’t be able to work without internet connection. If I was in a 3rd world country, what would my job be? I appreciate your blogs and love seeing u on facebook but we are missing that connection we had as children and before internet. Face to face contact. I do read when I can my bible to learn more and Jesus calling book. Ur insight to life and ur quotes that relate to the bible make me really think. What is my purpose? Only God knows and maybe he can answer that in my prayers. Now that is hope and if you have hope, you have faith. Miss you and love to u and all the family.