Monday, May 23, 2011

Wanted: A Mentor

The days of Apprenticeship are gone. Or mostly gone. There are very few careers that utilize the concept of apprenticeship, relying more on college educations, trade schools or sheer luck to find a job at which to excel.

There are informal ways in which we can find - or become - mentors. The Boys and Girls club, Big Brothers and Big Sisters, and tutoring are just a few. But personally, I've discovered the need for a mentor to assist me in growing spiritually. I crave a deeper prayer life. I want to know Jesus more, to have a personal relationship with him. I've heard all the words and am reading the books that will help me find this rich spirituality and faith, but what I'm missing is a person who already had that and is willing to teach me.

As I think and pray on this idea, I realize that the concept of having someone to go to is slipping away on the tide of technology. Many people now prefer the ease of texting over talking, emails over phone calls and facebook posts over everything. So often I will reach out to a friend on the phone and find their voice mail box is full. Cravings for a friend's voice become extreme. How is it possible that in a society with a plethora of communication technology, I feel more lonely than ever? Why is the spoken word becoming obsolete?

There was a day when the spoken word was all humankind had to share history, stories and to make promises. Jesus freed people form demons at the sound of his voice, and later his followers do the same using Jesus' name. Our prayers are more powerful if we speak them. A song can only be experienced through a voice. Isaac spoke a blessing over the wrong son and couldn't take it back because he had used the power of his voice. If a word spoken on this lips of man has that much power, it's no surprise that despair is gripping our world when we are virtually silent.

I encourage all who read this to reach out to someone and talk. Technology has it's place, but it certainly isn't to be used to deepen a relationship. God gave us what we need to survive, which is why we are not born with a USB port in our ear. I earnestly desire a person who will 'unplug' and spend time with me, talk to me, listen to me, and be face-to-face with me. Time together is free and requires no loading time. I believe if we come together, we will rediscover the gift of the human spirit, the sanctity of the human soul, and the purity of God's plan for the human race.

No comments:

Post a Comment