Connecting Isn't Communing

One of the many notions developed in current culture (especially post-pandemic) is that online community can be as vital and dynamic as in-person community.  

It requires less of us, to be sure.  All we need to do is log on to social media and attend a virtual gathering, and we can have conversations, share stories, life events, and much more without ever leaving the comfort of our couch.  

We were forced to do it for nearly two years when the world was locked down, but the after-effects have been tremendous.  

Even though we could finally attend in-person gatherings, concerts, and events and return to "normal" existence, something dramatically changed in our society. 

What had been a slow journey toward a more virtual existence was accelerated rapidly, and now we are beginning to see that something has been lost along the way.  

Let me explain. 

I started reading a book of essays on the concept of community the other day, and I have to say that it's already given me a lot to think about.  

The book is entitled Called To Community, and it's edited by Charles Moore, who had this to say about our current culture and the new ways that we have begun to define what we mean when we say the word "community.": 

In a culture of connectivity, where we have countless people to text and tweet, millions are under the illusion that a networked life is a rich, meaningful life.  But community is more than connectivity.  Although it is easier than ever to communicate and stay in touch with one another, we are fast losing the ability to commune with one another. 

There is a considerable difference between the ability to stay connected and the ability to commune with others.  

Each of us has been imbued with the energy of the Spirit of God, which is best experienced when shared with others. And the very best way to share that energy is by being near one another. 

If it helps to put it in scientific terms, like everything in the universe, we are constantly giving off energy and receiving it. When we are close to one another, we can feel that energy exchange in ways that are hard to describe but genuinely felt. 

Communing with others (following the above idea) means opening ourselves to what the Spirit will do between us when we are together.  We can't hide behind a computer screen when we are face to face; we have to be more vulnerable. 

It's risky and sometimes taxing to be vulnerable.  So many of us hold the world at arm's length, chatting online, texting, sharing photos on social media, and the like because we can maintain our emotional distance. 

I'm not saying virtual connections aren't helpful, and I also know that, at times, they are necessary. But when connectivity replaces communing, it becomes much more challenging to truly see one another. 

When we prioritize communing with others, we honor the Spirit (or image) of God within us and those we are near. 

It's easy to deny the image of God in another when we are separated by the screen on our computer or phone. It's easy to make assumptions about them, create caricatures, group them together, and even detest them. 

But when we are in communion with others, we can connect at a much deeper level, hear their stories, feel their energy, and begin to find common ground with them even when we disagree.  

It's also easier to discover who we are when we are communing with others.  We can work on becoming more open to new ideas and ways of being and even find ourselves changing to become the kind of people we long to be.  

May we all discover the beauty of communing and resist the temptation to stay isolated and wary.  May we find the Spirit in one another and let that bring us joy.  

And may the grace and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with us all, now and forever. Amen.