Slow Communication

 

In 1775, just before the beginning of the American Revolution, General Thomas Gage began a crucial battle on the outskirts of the city of Boston.  This battle became known as the Battle of Bunker Hill (even though it was actually fought on nearby Breed's Hill).

In the end, the British won a very costly victory.  General Gage sent word to England immediately, requesting reinforcements.  The new took nearly three months to go from Boston to London and a similar amount of time to return.  It took six months for a few lines of communication to go from Boston to London.

In the years since, there have been major advances in communication technologies.  Speedier forms of travel, such as the steam engine and steam driven boats let messages travel from place to place a little faster, but then, Samuel F. Morse invented the telegraph and suddenly it took only a few moments for a message to go halfway across the country.  In the years since, different types of telephones have been created and now the internet allows messages to travel around the world in the blink of an eye.

Yet, with all of this technology, I am afraid that real communication probably occurs far less than ever before.  Because, real communication requires more than just a transfer of information, or the act of commenting on a Facebook photo. 

We are more connected than ever before and yet, in this connected world, it is far easier to be isolated.  It is far easier to avoid heart to heart, deep conversations.  For, real communication takes time.  It takes just as much time to open your heart to another and share things that are truly important as it did in the 1700s.

Technology has a way of shrinking the distance between locations, but it does nothing for the distances between people.  That requires communication and communication often takes time, effort and sometimes work.  In the end it is the one thing that will heal wounded relationships and damaged hearts in a way that technology never can.

"But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased." Hebrews 13:16