It Is Not a Small World After All

I have been to Disney World twice. Both times I rode the ride It's A Small World After All. (Which I imagine is not the real name.) The song is catchy and easy to buy into. Especially in our day and age. Cell phones, government subsidiesed airfair, MySpace, text messaging, Second Life, Face Book, iChat, and so on....

I can see pictures of friends and family all over the net. They can take them and have them sent out with in the hour. I can text my wife at work, and discuss dinner plans. I can go to Europe for $150 bucks on certain days. It sure is a small world.

I can interview, or be interviewed, via web cam for a job in Australia. I can broker a business deal in Second Life in a made up conference room. (Or go to church.) I can catch up with your day to day life on your blog. You get my point.

It is a small world after all.

Or is it?

What do you do when you cousin has his first son? What do you do when two close friends get married on the same day? What do you do when a college friends dad or mom pass? You can't be at every birth, marriage, death, graduation or major event in every friend and family members life. Especially when you don't live close. Especially if it is not a $150 deal to Europe day. Can't get off work. Or what ever combination of life events restrain you.

How small is the world when you need to give a physical hug right now? How small is the world when you want to hold a baby in your arms today? You want to spend that last night with your bro be for he gets married? You want to keep that weekly prayer group going by conference call? How small?

What does our techno revolution do for us then?

We ache for intimacy, and keep pushing buttons to find it.

I just want to set in silence with you my friends, and know peace.