OUR SECOND WORLD

      A family of 4 all walk into Chick Fil-A. They order their food, take their table marker because they are "dining in" and find a table. It's a Mom and Dad with their two kids who are teens...a boy and a girl. They find a table and all at the same time they take out their cell phones. They don't speak a word to each other. I'm sure the boy is checking his Twitter account. Maybe the girl wants to see if her friends texted her. The Mom might be on Facebook to see if anyone wrote on her "wall." The Dad is most likely checking his stock to see if it's doing good or bad. The only conversation between them is to show each other text messages, Facebook pictures and maybe a photo they found on their phone from a few years ago. Their meal arrives and, you guessed it, they are still on their phones. Their second world! No asking questions.  No reality. They have entered the "Twilight Zone. Now we need to insert the Twilight Zone" theme music and pan the camera to Rod Serling holding a cigarette and speaking directly into the camera. Okay, not really!         

During the pandemic while our restaurant was closed inside we had to deliver food to guests cars that were mobile orders. I will never forget walking up to one particular SUV carrying bags of food and drinks. I heard a blood curdling scream that scared me. It was apparently a young child. It sounded like they were hurt. As I approached the car, the Mom quickly got of of her seat and opened the back door. All I heard her say was "Here you are sweetheart. It's okay! You dropped the iPad. Mommy will get it for you." Within seconds the blood curdling screams stopped. I looked in the backseat and saw a little girl about 2 clutching her iPad apparently watching a cartoon. The Mom looked at me and said I'm sorry about that, Sir. She can't live without her iPad! Thank you for delivering our food. Enjoy our day!"

     These two stories are common in the year 2022. We are all certainly guilty of living in a "Second World." I often wonder what life would have been like if cell phones were invented in let's say 1975? Would my parents have one? Would Mom be taking thousands of pictures? I remember being excited when she sent film away to be developed. It would come in the mail and we would open the package trying to remember what pictures were on that film roll. I have actually forgotten what a "busy signal" sounds like! In 1975 we would come home from school and grab our hockey sticks and play street hockey with the neighborhood kids. When it was dinner time, my Dad belted out a loud whistle and we knew it was time to wrap up the hockey game, get our butts in gear and get home ASAP. Today, wherever you go you see kids even at 12 who own iPhones! They don't even know how to talk to each other. You don't see a whole lot of street hockey games. Times have changed! 

     I often think about the guy who invented the iPhone... Steve Jobs. I wonder if he realized how this phone would change our world. In a sense, he put Kodak film out of business. I used to own a "Flip Camera" to take videos when I was a children's pastor. I loved it! They are out of business. On your cell phone, smart phone, dumb phone or iPhone you can make calls, send email, check social media, take pictures and video and I'm sure hundreds of other things I'm missing. Although it is a great tool and we all do need them in a sense, I do feel sometimes that it can be a huge distraction. Instead of spending quality time talking, getting to know each other and getting things done, we stare at our "Second World" trying to prove to others how our life is so perfect. We put our best picture on Facebook, we tell our "friends" what we did during the day. We of course brag when our kids are straight A students and we show off a new car, new home or new grandbaby. We never share anything that might not being going so well for us because we don't want to appear "weak." Please don't get me wrong! I rejoice when my "friends" share good news. I think it's wonderful. I am very concerned though in the future of America when it comes to how we spend our time not only with each other and with family but with ourselves. 

     What would happen if for one day we didn't use our phones. We would all have to lock it in a safe for one day for 24 hours. I'm sure you would feel like you were naked. Maybe you would feel like you couldn't survive a full day. Or maybe you could not function without it. In my first story, wouldn't it have been nice if the Dad said to his kids "How did your day go today?" What about the second story if that young child had toys to play with in a car instead of an iPad and the Mom played the game "I Spy" with her. They would actually do the old-fashioned thing...TALK! We certainly live in a different world! I am not saying cell phones are bad. I am saying let's get out of our "Second World" and let's get back to reality. Life is too short!

HAVE A GREAT WEEK!!        

GO WITH GOD!!!

     

     This week has always been referred to as Holy Week in the Christian church .The week that leads up to Good Friday. The day Jesus Christ was crucified on a cross at the place of the skull...Golgotha. It is also referred to as Calvary. As the Roman soldiers placed Jesus on the cross, they hammered 3 nails into his body. One on each hand and one on both feet. 3 nails! We celebrate Good Friday to remember that Jesus was crucified but the best news is yet to come...SUNDAY! After Jesus was crucified, they placed his body in a tomb, they sealed the tomb with a huge stone and placed two guards in front of the tomb. The leaders tried to prove that Jesus was dead and long gone. BUT there was good news! JESUS ROSE AGAIN! We celebrate his death and resurrection remembering that Jesus died on the cross for our sins. He took our punishment and our place on that old rugged cross so that all our sins, all those bad things we have ever done are now forgiven. This coming Sunday is an amazing holiday we call Easter!

     The two dates in America where many churches are packed out are always Easter Sunday and Christmas Eve. There is an old joke that says people who don't normally attend church but do attend on Easter Sunday go to church on that day because they left their umbrella at church on Christmas Eve! I never understood why people don't go to church. They faithfully attend Christmas and Easter but what about the 50 other Sunday's in the year? One time as I was driving to church, I saw a group of young boys along with some father's on a baseball field playing baseball. They were hitting, fielding, pitching, throwing, running bases and trying to fine tune their skills. I thought to myself how sad it was that they were more concerned about their baseball skills than their spiritual skills. They could have chosen any other day or time but they decided that Sunday morning would work best for them. How sad that their priority was not God it was a sport!

     I have a confession to make. I can't do it alone. I can't survive in this world without it. I need it every day. It helps me get through my busy day. It keeps me going and it keeps me strong. It puts a smile on my face and a spring in my step. What is "it"?  It's God! Every morning I try my hardest before I go to work to pray and read my bible at 4:30 a.m. I have realized in my lifetime that every day I need to Go with God. As I drive to work, when I'm at work, when I'm with family and friends, when I'm doing a Gospel program for kids or even just when I'm chillaxing I need to Go with God. I am looking forward to celebrating Easter this year or as some people call it "Resurrection Sunday." I am looking forward to being in church and worshiping my Lord and savior Jesus. Even after the church service is over this Sunday and all the church attenders get in their cars and go home, I will continue to Go with God week after week. I will do my best to attend church Sunday,April 24th and every Sunday after. I certainly did not leave my umbrella there at Christmas. I can't live without God! I hope and pray you too will Go with God! You won't be disappointed!