IT´S good that there is a
growing sense of connectivity that is now palpable these days. One just has to
look around and realize how the steady crawl of linkages among persons and
entities in different levels of society is developing.
Technology, for sure, has a
lot to do with it. The mobile phone, the Internet, the social network systems,
etc., are quickening the pace of communication. With them, we can get in touch
with practically anyone in any part of the world.
In a way, these modern means
of communication have an equalizing effect on the people. That´s because even
if there are several grades and levels involved, the fact remains that they
have a much larger coverage than previously known. A lot more people are drawn
into the communication loop now than before.
Together with this
technological angle is, of course, a growth in the sensitivity of people,
especially the young ones and even the old, retired ones, toward the need to
communicate.
I´m amused to see both my
very young nephews and nieces and my rather elderly aunties, already pushing
80, quite adept especially in the social network. I suspect they are the ones
that keep the lines abuzz, or the cyberwaves clogged. All of sudden, the world
has become much smaller, and more people, despite distance and age, get close
to each other.
In schools, young students
are continually taught the many possibilities of the new technologies.
Innovations keep on popping up, providing people with still more ways to
communicate.
Obviously, the big guys are
also happy with these developments. Those in business and politics, those
trying to monitor social and cultural changes, etc., derive great benefit from
these novel things.
And it´s truly heartwarming
to note that not only the pace but also the quality of business and politics is
improving. That´s because with these gadgets the potentials of participative
government are unleashed. Both politicians and citizens, businessmen and
consumers, are now more sensitive to the requirements of the common good.
Let´s hope this trend goes
on, without forgetting that there is also a need to be vigilant over abuses and
other bad effects, usually unintended, that can spoil this development. We have
to remember to practice some kind of restraint and moderation in the use of these
new gadgets. They can lead us to some info overload that would not be healthy
to us.
In this regard, it might be
helpful to remind ourselves that the real and proper motor to drive and guide
us in this new waters of communication is charity. Let´s not disparage that
truth, again considering it as something irrelevant to our current state of
development.
Charity can never become
obsolete nor useless. It cannot and should not be held as something so
other-worldly that it can have nothing to do with our earthly, mundane affairs.
In fact, the opposite is true.
Charity is the very soul of
our life and everything in it—our thoughts, words and deeds, our business,
politics and all kinds of human dealings. It is what brings all these things to
their proper foundation, their proper end, and to their proper ways.
We need to disabuse ourselves
from the erroneous mentality, sadly quite common these days, of considering
charity as impractical. This is actually the main problem we have now. We tend
to view things almost exclusively from the practical point of view, as if
everything depends on practicality.
Charity demands more things
from us precisely because we are not mere animals who happen to be rational and
who are just ruled by the law of practicality. We are persons and children of
God, meant to enter to a real communion of life and love with God and with
everybody else.
Charity tells us more things
about what we need to communicate and how to do it. It equips us with a greater
sensitivity that lets us fathom deeper things in persons and events. It enables
us to understand and to take advantage of sufferings in this life, and of the
many negative things that can come to us—our mistakes and failures, our sins,
etc.
Charity links us ultimately
to God, our last and final end.
Practicality is incapable of
doing these things. It tends to treat us not as persons but as objects to be
used. We have to be wary of this tendency that seems to afflict us these days
like a sweet poison that we gladly take everyday.
It´s time that we sit down
and make a serious inventory of the requirements of charity.
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