The Communication Generation

Electronic ‘magic’

If my grandparents returned to earth today they would think that magic prevailed. They never even saw colour television. They could hardly see the neighbour’s black and white TV with its ‘snow storms’ of interference. Phone calls from one town to another had to go through an operator. Many in their street (including themselves) did not even possess a phone. My granddad made his occasional phone calls at our house! There were no computers, text messages, ipods, CDs, and DVDs, videos, or CCTV cameras patrolling our city centres. Telephone answering machines would have bewildered them! And Internet webcam conversations? That was for far-fetched science fiction!

Amazing development

Whatever the downside of life today, it certainly is the ‘Communication Generation’. Everyone is near the means of contacting someone or being contacted by them. The development is truly amazing. The growth is so huge and fast that we forget how far we have come already. But hang on a minute!

The paradox of the breakdown of communications.

It can equally be argued that communications are at an all-time low. The huge generation gap means that many parents and kids have little or nothing in common. As those relationships fail, we see family life crash, youth crime explode, and murder of teenagers by teenagers increase. The communication failure is also between authorities and ordinary people, people of different faiths, and those whose colour or race differs. There is even aggravation in some parts simply because of post code differences! It seems that no area of life is spared from conflict and hatred. Many no longer feel safe in their own neighbourhoods despite some government talk (?spin) about crime having diminished.

The root of the problem

The Bible says the breakdown of communication and relations between people are but a reflection of our broken relationship with God. We have sinned against God in our arrogance and selfishness. That has caused us to ignore the command of Jesus to love our neighbours as ourselves. Our sin in dealing with others mirrors our sin in rejecting God and His commandments.

The solution?

The Lord Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man. He came to earth as a man. As the eternal Son of God, He lived a perfect and righteous life in unbroken communion with God the Father. He went to the cross and died there to be punished for all our sins against God and against men. The eternal hell we deserve was borne by Him for us. He rose again from the dead and is alive today and forever. When any man or woman will turn from sin and receive Him into his or her life, Jesus forgives, cleanses and enters that individual’s life as personal Lord and Saviour. He restores that person’s relationship with God now and for all eternity. Thus forgiven and changed, that person will begin to treat others differently. The solution to your communication problem is to ask Christ into your life to pardon you and lead you in His way.