99.1’s WEEKLY THOUGHT with Pastor Brian Horrobin:
Relationship Disconnect
I was channel surfing one weeknight evening recently and came across a very disturbing documentary on public television.
It profiled a military-style hospital in Beijing which housed teenagers who were addicted to online gaming. In some cases the parents had actually drugged their child in order to take them there. When the child woke up, there they were inside this locked down facility.
I must admit that the program was hard to watch, as it showed how disconnected these kids were from both their parents and the rest of the real world.
At one point one of the older detainees led a daring “jail break” type of escape, taking a group of them to an internet café to play games. They were caught and he was sentenced to 10 days in solitary confinement. In the end, he saw the folly of such a lifestyle and was able to exit the program and go home.
If such a scenario seems far-fetched to you, think again. We are living in a world where social media, online gaming, and the advancement of electric communication devices are eroding the core of personal relationships.
We seem to be in touch more with others, yet in a vastly superficial way. We are hiding behind our computer screens and on our cell phones at the expense of authentic relationships. We even have cyber churches for folks who either don’t want to get up and out of bed or who would rather connect with God without the hassle of interacting with people.
Let me challenge you to actually get up, get dressed, and GO to church this week. In fact, why not also go and visit a Facebook friend or a texting buddy. Do some real face time this week!
