Our Anchor In A World AdriftSample

Connecting, Jesus Style

Picture this: A family gathers in the living room. The father checks the latest stock report on his laptop. The mother orders an item from an online store using her smartphone. Their two kids, each with a cellphone, have been sending text messages and calling friends for the past hour. With eyes on their gadgets, they have little time to talk with each other. Is this scene familiar? Do you find yourself in a similar setting?

Communicating with distant family members, peers, or business associates has never been easier. Through text messaging, video calls, and social networking sites we can communicate with anyone across the globe. Digital technology has bridged our separated worlds. But there is also the real danger that digital technology is keeping us physically and emotionally disconnected from those nearby.

While He was here on earth, Jesus found ways to connect with individuals. Jesus started a conversation with the Samaritan woman even though Jews disdained and avoided Samaritans. He called out Zacchaeus the tax collector and asked to be invited to his house. And to comfort two discouraged disciples, Jesus walked with them on the road to Emmaus and broke bread with them on their table.

Are we intentionally finding ways to connect not only with family and friends, but also with the new neighbor, the assistant at the grocery store, the visitor in church, and the regular commuter on the bus? They could be in need of someone to talk to. Put down the phone for a while, disconnect from the Internet, and engage in a face-to-face interaction. Like Jesus, let us reach out to people and seize the opportunity to share how to be truly connected to God.

Prayer: Thank You, Jesus, for reconciling us to God the Father. Help us not to be distracted by digital technology but to focus on You and to seek meaningful connections with others.

Click here to learn more about how you can use digital technology to reach out to more people in need of Christ:www.gmi.org/7stats