Staying Connected

One of the many great gifts of internet technology is the ability to stay connected or to even reconnect.  Over the past few years, using various social network sites, I have been able to reconnect with friends from long ago and even find my brother, whom I had not seen in forty-five years and thought dead.   Though the physical dimension of the earth remains the same, it is a much smaller place than it was even when my children were born.

Of the many folks with whom I have reconnected, one especially delightful correspondent is Marty Bruns, a fellow graduate of Martin County High School and one of my freshman year roommates at Florida State University.  Marty and I were not especially close chums during those years, but we did have much in common and spent quite a bit of time together; but like so many we lost track of one another went our own ways, me into ordained ministry and Marty into the United States Air Force.

Discovering each other through a social network site we began a correspondence and sought to catch up on each other’s lives.  While doing so we discovered that there are some differences in our theological opinions – Marty is much more evangelical than I and we disagree about some pretty important issues.  But the greatest thing is that we disagree respectfully.  As we push and challenge one another, both of us grow and we are able to find common ground in our faith.   Marty is a highly intelligent and gifted writer, and his arguments give me pause and require that I refine my own thinking and theological rationale.  I doubt that either of us will change our minds as a result of these epistles (I guess an email can be considered an epistle!) but the chance to stay connected, to engage in spirited & respectful debate, and the opportunity to reflect again on important issues is a real gift.  So Christmas came a bit early for me this year, as I was given the gift of reconnecting with an old – and now renewed – friend.

Like I said in worship the other day, Christmas is about presence, not presents even if that presence lives 3000 miles away!

See you in Church,

Kevin