Context

We live in a world of rapid communication. The President of the United States can share his thoughts with the world at 2am, forcing traditional diplomacy to play catch-up. He has recently threatened Iran and sent birthday greetings to Kim Jong-un. We watch on anxiously, wondering whether words will turn to action.

The internet has opened up so many possibilities: families keep in touch across the world, people with similar interests swap stories, information on support is available. But technological wizardry has undermined traditional social mechanisms of civility and restraint. Online abuse is a huge problem, spilling over into the real world. Cyber-bullying and trolling ruin lives. Women, ethnic minorities and the LGBT+ community are particularly vulnerable. And attempts to combat the abuse seem paltry in comparison. The Guardian has uncovered that although Facebook is available in 111 languages, the automated tools supposed to detect dangerous content only work in about 30 of them.

This is the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. The divisions between Christians have had all sorts of consequences, sometimes becoming intertwined with political rifts. The leaders of Ireland’s main churches have united to welcome the power-sharing deal which will see the restoration of Stormont’s political institutions. They say in their statement: ‘The story of the Christian faith is one of new beginnings, where failure is never final, second chances abound, and all things can be renewed.’ Peace is never once and for all – it requires continuous negotiation and willingness to compromise.

 

Reflection

In Paul’s day, letter writing was a time-consuming and costly enterprise. He needed a scribe (see Rom 16.22 and 1 Corinthians 16.21), and someone to carry the letter all the way to its destination. When my grandparents were engaged, they were living either side of the Atlantic. Weeks would elapse between writing a letter and getting a reply. Now communication is instantaneous. We can send greetings to the other side of the world and receive an answer within minutes. Speed, however, is no guarantee of quality. People used to weigh their words carefully, knowing that letters would be treasured – read and reread. (Although I doubt that Paul foresaw just how long his letters would last, and how far they would travel!) Now, we have a tendency to forget that thoughts shared online today might come back to haunt us in a few years’ time. What’s more, disagreements quickly spiral out of control, turning into Twitterstorms. How can we learn to disagree constructively, without turning to insult and vilification?

 

The materials for the 2020 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity have been prepared by Christians in Malta and Gozo. Acts 27–8 describes how Paul became shipwrecked on the island of Malta. The theme for the Week – ‘unusual kindness’ – recalls the hospitality shown to the shipwrecked travellers by the inhabitants of the island (Acts 28.2). In his introduction to the pamphlet of reflections and resources, Bob Fyffe, General Secretary of Churches Together in Britain and Ireland, writes: ‘In spite of the turbulence of the world at the present time, we also discover acts of kindness, of love, forgiveness and hospitality in places or from people we did not expect.’

 

Prayer

This prayer is taken from the Resources provided by Church Together in Britain and Ireland for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity:

Reconciling God,
as we feel the pain of past mistakes,
shy away
and retreat to individual strongholds;
help us surrender
a false sense of who we are,
all that tethers us,
and all that we hold precious.
Bind us to humility and compassion,
as we learn together,
to receive from You,
abide in You and Your love. Amen.

 

Questions

• When did you last write a letter?
• How do you make use of social media? What dilemmas does it present?

 

All-age activity

Write an old-fashioned letter – pen on paper – to a friend who needs encouragement.

 

Young people

Ask older members of the congregation, or of your family, if they have kept any treasured letters. Compare these with your communications. How do you provide support and encouragement to your friends? How might you use social media to make the world a better place?

 

Ann Conway-Jones is an Associate Tutor at The Queen’s Foundation for Ecumenical Theological Education.

 

KEY:  icon indicates ways to connect faith with everyday life

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