I assume by now almost every human being has a social media profile somewhere. More than likely you have a hundred friends or more and some of you have a thousand friends. It is not a contest! With the likes of Facebook, we have been allowed to know more people and to connect with them, however, and whenever we like. We all get invites to be friends from people we don’t even really know. A friend of a friend maybe! The bottom line is we have tons of people that we are connected to. Do you know them?
Paul was a close friend of mine for 20+ years and although we lived far apart we talked often by phone. We had a lot of friends in common and saw each other in person at friend gatherings. In the last years of Paul's life, he was battling cancer. I spoke at a conference every February in his home town and we would meet for dinner each year and get caught up with life. There was a lot to talk about being friends for so long and with so many common friends. Cancer took his life and at his funeral, I realized something about Paul. Did I know him? Paul was married and although separated for many years up to his death, I realized I had never met his wife. Then there was Grace, his daughter. Never met her either.
At one church during my minister, I served there for 9 years. I was sitting in the sanctuary attending a funeral of a long-standing member of our church. Reading the memorial tribute with his picture and life accomplishments, I suddenly realized I did not know him. I thought I did know him. We spoke and shook hands every Sunday at church and stopped in the halls a few times to just visit. I knew Jim and he knew me. After hearing more during the funeral about who Jim was and what he did during his life, I felt strange. He was a great leader in our community and church and why did I not know him well. Why did it take his death for me to know Jim?
I see myself as a people person and love to meet and network with people. That’s one of the main reasons I am on any type of social media today. Every time I post on Facebook I am taking a chance. I am opening up and being vulnerable and transparent with the world at large. It is one of the best ways I can get to know people as well. I spend time on social media to share my life and to allow them to know me for who I am. I don’t want people to show up at my funeral and be shocked at how I am or what oi have done in life. Please, get to know me while I am alive for heaven's sake! Why did I not know about Paul's wife and daughter and get to know them while he was alive? Why did I not know Jim was a great leader and professor and get to know him before he died? Get to know people while they are alive. Spend time with them. Hang out with them. I had lunch the other day with a friend I have known for 3 years and did know what he did for a living. Turns out he is in sales. That is what I did for 25 years before ministry. We had a great lunch laughing and reminiscing old sales stories. Get to people now; do not wait until you hear about it at their funeral.
Comments? Suggestions?
