Communion versus Communication

Does Facebook, Twitter, texting and the many ways people are sharing information today help our culture learn the skills necessary to develop strong, lasting relationships? I am not saying that I do not see value in the various ways we can receive information and communicate a message. I use many of these everyday and appreciate the opportunities it provides. I believe what is lacking and becoming scarce is communion. Friday night, Lesa and I had dinner at Miller's Grocery in Christiana, TN with our good friends Jason and Michelle Cruise. Jason is a leader in Men's ministries and author of several books. During dinner, Jason commented, "One of the problems in our society is that we are communicating without communion". This intrigued me and I wanted to investigate the difference. Communication is defined as the imparting or exchanging of information or news. Communion is the sharing or exchanging of intimate thoughts and feelings, especially when the exchange is on a mental or spiritual level, an act or instance of sharing, intimate fellowship or rapport. The difference was immediately clear to me. It is near impossible to develop strong relationships without intimate fellowship. When I was dating Lesa, I wanted to get to know her and spend as much time as I could with her. As a thirty-year sales professional, I have had my occupation described to other people by saying, "He just takes people out to eat and plays golf". We all laugh because the insinuation is I have a cushy job and there is really no work involved. If you're in sales, you know this is not true. It is true that I have built long lasting relationships by getting customers away from their office and having communion. Getting past the mere exchange of proposals, numbers and negotiations and talk about the things that are important and really matter to them. Put away your smart phone for a while and spend some quality time with someone. You will be glad you did. Have a great week!