Peace, Brothers!
In these days, I have to learn a little on the new social networks and tools of the internet, I am a beginner in the subject and I found myself reflecting.
I perceived that there also are modes of simplifying sending notices, (like twitter), modes much easier of passing on links (using a link shortener), easier modes of spreading to a multitude automatically something that you discover. (like facebook)
The process of simplifying, speeding and facilitating, the affairs of modern life began years ago…
Are you hot? Put on your air conditioner, even in your car…
Are you cold? put on your heater, even in your car…
Why do you stay without doing anything (in truth, only thinking) during a long voyage on the bus or plane? Use the smartphone and: navigate the internet, send emails, tweets, sms, etc or hear music or watch TV…
Why wait in line at the bank, lasting a long time? Do operations online on the web.
Why walk 2 blocks to go to the bakery? Go by car, motocycle, etc…
And so it continues.
Buuuuuuuuuuut, there is a crucial point that cannot be unnoticed, and, unfortunately, has passed…
There exist many aspects and situations of life that cannot be facilitated, nor shortened nor simplified!! There is no way!!
Facing cancer! Facing life after an accident where you lost a limb or worse!
Facing the death of a loved one! Facing a financial failure! Facing life with a son imprisoned in jail or in prison for crime or vice! Facing the separation after years of a bad marriage!
Facing hours of books and notebooks to pass tests, quizzes and stringent tests! Facing, please excuse the expression, “a pair of horns” on the head of your lover that had become the great love of your life Etc.
We need to use the facilities of modern life, yes, of course, but without losing our soul, our character, our personality, or they will be molded by them!! If not, we will become people who are “bananas”!! Persons unable to deal with difficulties, delays, the complexities inherent to our human condition, to our life on Planet Earth!!
We need to use that which is transitory and is passing (the famous orkut already is in decline) but cultivating in our daily life, the exercise of interior attitudes and virtues that make us able to live happy, to confront problems that are not even a little virtual, to overcome the pains that assault us by surprise!!
Ahhh, now I will do a new reading of an excerpt of the gospel where Jesus says”
“Enter by the narrow gate, because the large is the gate and wide the road that goes to perdition and many are those that enter by it. Narrow, therefore, is the door and tight is the road of life and few are those that encounter it” (cf (Mt 7:13-14)
In time of so many gold medals for Brazil in the Pan-American games, it will be interesting to know what is the price that the athletes paid in the last years to arrive there! There is no win without effort, there is no medal without arduous training, there is no victory without sacrifice, sacrifices with an objective, with a proposal! And this has value not only in sports!
Christianity has all to see with this! Jesus was educated, prepared, trained, by the Father, during 30 years, in prayer, in relationship of love with Him, in concentrated gestures of love to his neighbor, in meditation of the texts of Old Testament available in the time, to exercise afterwards victoriously His Mission in just 3 years! We need a revival of this conscience in us, Christians!
Facing not only, but with the Father, a betrayal, a psychological or physical torture, a suffering for the people that loved him, even to death…And he won. It was not an easy road, agile, simple, but is a road of victory and of happiness not only for those of that time, but for us that follow Him today!!
Following Jesus is not a thing of twitter, no!! It is a daily style of life!! It is worth it!!
Whomever decides to pay the price of following the Creator of “Sky Web” will receive from Him the Grace and the Victory in life, here and in eternity!
your brother,
Ulisses CN
(ulisses@geracaophn.com)
translated from Portuguese