There was a time we seek to have pen pals. You write a letter, post it and wait for the reply (sometimes for a long time before you get one). The excitement of receiving a letter was beyond words. And it was likely that you will read the letter many times over, to enjoy the feeling again and again. That was also how we get to know each other over a long distance. We call such a system snail mail nowadays. The only letters we receive now are mostly bills and official corporate notifications. An old man mentioned cheekily while standing beside his letterbox that he should rename it to “bill-box”, as those were the only correspondences coming to him.

Fast forward, technology today had “shortened” the distance and time that we get to know one another. You send a message, through any of the social media platforms, and you expect to receive a reply almost immediately. If not, you send another mail to “chase” for a reply. Search through the “postings” in the social media platforms, like Facebook or Instagram, and you can almost create a profile of someone you had never met in your life once. Now, you may even think that he or she had been your friend a lifetime ago.

People hardly talk over the phone too. We used to complain about our relations using the phone for too long, “cooking telephone porridge” as it was termed. Something that a very quick phone call can settle, end up spending much effort over messaging.

So, I really do not know if technology had made any real progress. It had alienated people, for that I am very sure. There are much less meaningful interactions and relationships among people who matters. We “know a lot and don’t know a lot” if you know what I mean.

Brothers and sisters, I pray that you will get to know the people around you in a real and meaningful way, not via messages or postings. But in a way that’s full of flesh and blood. Also, do know our Lord in the most intimate way and not only via YouTube videos.

God bless,
In Christ’s service,

Barry Leong

在过往我们曾经想要拥有笔友。你写了一封信，邮寄后等待回音（有时候还需等待许久才得到回信）。收到回信的兴奋感确实是难以言喻的。而你可能还会重复阅读信件很多遍，也不断享受其中的感觉。这也是我们跨越远距离彼此认识的方式。我们今日称此系统为蜗牛邮件。我们现今会收到的邮件大部份是账单及官方公函通知。有一位长者站在他的邮箱旁边，很调皮地说他应该将之改名为“账单邮箱”，因为朝他而来的只有这些邮件。

时间快速前进，今天的科技确实“缩短”了我们彼此相识的距离和时间。你藉着任何社交媒体的平台发了一条讯息，你也期待马上能收到回音。否则，你会再发一条讯息“催促”对方回复。通过社交媒体平台寻索“发布文”，例如脸书、新浪微博，你就几乎可以为一个素未谋面的人开置个人资料夹。现在，你或许也以为他/她是你相识已久的朋友。

大家也难得会以电话交谈。我们曾经埋怨因为关系而长时间使用电话，就是所谓的“煲电话粥”。有时候一通电话就能快速解决的事情，结果却用了很多精力去发送讯息。

所以，我真的不知道科技是否带来真正的进展。但我非常确定的是，它使人孤僻。它在至关重要的人当中，减少了很多有意义的互动及关系。如果你明白我的意思，那么我们就是“知道的很多，不知道的也很多”。

弟兄姐妹，我祈祷你们能藉着真实和有意义的方式去认识你们周围的人，不是通过讯息或发布文。而是以有血有肉的方式。此外，要藉着最亲密的方式来认识我们的主，而不只是通过优酷的视频。

上帝赐福，
在主里同工的，

Barry Leong