The Facebook Parable

There was once a beautiful young woman who had fallen desperately in love with a gentle man of quiet strength.  She wanted to be with him every minute she possibly could.  He would call her and they'd meet for coffee and go for a long walk.  They'd drive for hours through the countryside looking at the stately trees and old barns.  They'd stop to pet horses over the fence and watch the calves run and play.  They'd eat quiet dinners together and gaze into one another's eyes over the candlelight.  They talked for long hours of the deep things of their hearts.

Things began to change.  The young woman began to take this gentle man for granted.  She assumed he'd always be there, begging to be a part of her life.  And he was there, but he never begged.  He was a quiet man and was willing to wait for her favor.  He knew how much he loved her and was waiting for the perfect moment to speak his heart to her.

This young woman was vivacious and loved a crowd.  In fact, she was the life of the party.  The gentle man began to find it hard to be alone with her.  Even though she loved him, there were lots of parties, friends, and all sorts of entertainment to garner her attention.  Soon she began to neglect him.

The quiet man knew he had to speak his heart to her.  He rehearsed what he wanted to say.  And he gathered his courage to say it.  He wanted to tell her how much he loved and admired her.  So many admired her, but he most of all.  And he wanted to take her to a quiet place and share his heart with her.  He had to.  He must.

Finally, he had her all alone in her quiet living room.  They began to speak of things from their past.  He reminded her of those long walks, those quiet dinners.  And just when he was ready to speak his heart, she spoke.  "Oh!  I must get my laptop.  I need to check my Facebook, you know."  And as she ran to her room to grab her laptop, his heart plummeted.  What was happening?  Didn't she want to be with him?  Wasn't he enough?  She came back into the room, laughing and opening her laptop as she sat cross-legged on the couch beside him.  "I want to post a photo of you and me from the party we went to last night.  Everyone will be so excited to see it!  And I want to tell them what you said to me."  "Uh...what did I say?" he wondered.  "I don't remember having a meaningful conversation in the past two weeks!"

But she was already posting her photo, sharing funny anecdotes, and making sarcastic replies to many of her friends on Facebook.  His heart wilted.  She was willing to talk about him...but not to him?  What had happened to their intimacy, their longing to be together?  Where was the...power of their relationship?  His spirit was broken.  He didn't know if he'd ever be able to share what was really on his heart.  Would she even hear?  And most of all...did she even care?  He got up and went to the door, ready to go home but with a message still on his heart.  And the sad thing was...she didn't even notice.

*I know...it's a sappy story, but it has a deep meaning for me.  I'd been praying about and trying to decide whether I should keep my Facebook account.  And then today, I was with a dear friend and something very similar happened to me.  I was all set to have a heart-to-heart talk and something was more important to them than me.  I felt rebuffed and rejected.  Instantly, God spoke to my heart---this was how He felt when I had time to spend with Him and instead picked up my laptop to get on Facebook.  I'll be fasting from my recreational laptop for a few weeks.  I want to hear the sweet messages God has for me.


II Timothy 3:4b-5a
"[They will be] lovers of sensual pleasures and vain amusements more than and rather than lovers of God.  For [although] they hold a form of piety (true religion), they deny and reject and are strangers to the power of it..."


Ouch.