Face to Face

Some people are really good at this techno communication thing. Their emails are like books, they send and receive emails and can text messages rapidly from their cell phones while they are engaged in a multi-party conference call. I am always amazed at new technology and how quickly some people catch on to using it. Honestly, I am still trying to figure out how to create a signature for my email messages. Speaking of email messages: large, involved, detailed ones scare me. I don’t mind reading them, especially if I can tell the sender invested heart and soul in creating it. The reason they scare me is because sometime after reading them I feel like need to send a large, thoughtful, detailed heart and soul response. That is a problem for several reasons.

1. My typing skills stink.

2. My attention span for large, involved, detailed, heart and soul responses is not very long and I usually end up going to the simple yes-no response emails.

3. Most importantly…I really like to look at someone; be present with them when I communicate.

I need or at least want to see their face. Don’t get me wrong I am a strong advocate of the written word but the best communication happens face to face for me.

I think that is what John had in mind when he wrote to his dear friend in one of churches he served. In 2 John he wrote, “I have much to write to you but I don’t want to do it with paper and ink (or email or text messaging). Instead, I hope to visit you and talk with you ‘face to face’, so that our joy may be complete.” This is amazing to me because even though John would prove to be a substantive writer there were times when he wanted to communicate in person- face to face. That is how I feel most of the time. And he said that doing so would be a complete joy.

The thing I like to think about from this and other scriptures is that this is not just John writing; this is actually the Holy Spirit communicating the heart of God. It makes me realize and remember that we were created for a face to face relationship with God. There are many things he has communicated with us via paper and ink but there are some things in his heart he is going to wait to tell us face to face. It reminds me that Paul, when he went to heaven, heard words that were not for repeating on this earth. John, during the Revelation, heard things in heaven he was not permitted to write down to be revealed on this earth. Some things that God wants to reveal to us will just have to wait until we see him face to face; when we are like Him and we see him as he is. Then our joy and His will be complete.

 But there are some things on this earth that God has not communicated to us via paper and ink. Who will you marry? What ministry does God have for you? What occupation is best for you? How do we make decisions about things that are not spelled out for us specifically on paper and ink? God has given us His Spirit so that we may in part that face to face relationship with Him now. One of the things that made Moses unique was his face to face relationship to God during this life. I want to experience that uniqueness.

 I am certain God wants us to be committed to listening to and relating to what He has written so that He can speak to us about things that are not written. Just a Thought to GO. What is yours? Looking forward to seeing you face to face. Gotta go; probably some long detailed heart felt emails I need to answer.

doug