Screens & SoulsEgzanp

Face-to-face with friends

Imagine trying to have a conversation with a good friend while surrounded by a crowd of people who are tapping you on the shoulder and whispering pssst in your ear. Distracted? Now imagine that your friend is surrounded by a similar crowd. Sound like a great conversation?

Yet this is precisely what happens when we try to talk without turning off our phones. Any person, app, or email that buzzes, dings, or rings is distracting for both of us. Ever been there? Ever seen a group of kids at a coffee shop with the soft glow of distraction on their faces? Or is a staff trying to discuss an issue while half the room is checking texts and returning emails? I know it’s the new normal, but there is something not okay about our pseudo-conversations.

There’s a curious verse in 3 John that says, “I have much to write to you, but I do not want to do so with pen and ink. I hope to see you soon, and we will talk face to face” (1:13). Pen and ink were the latest "tech" of John’s day. But John knew that true joy, complete joy, required something better. He needed to be face-to-face with his friends. It would take more time to visit them, but that time would produce greater joy. Anything less would be something worse for him and for his friends.

What would it take to talk without tech? to silence the interruptions and truly connect face-to-face so that your joy might be complete? Consider your answer and take action today.