Eric's Sunday Sermon; The Internet and the Communication of Love

Privacy is important on the internet but so is clear communication. Somewhat like love I think if we look into the internet for a little bit it will set the stage for looking at some social thoughts.

Did you know that the internet is governed? Did you know that it is governed by elites and large interest groups? Did you know they were based in Marina Del Rey California? That now they are based in La Playa, Los Angeles? Did you know that the name is ICANN? Did you know that the U.S.A. has oversight of that cadre? Did you know that it literally has no representation of common users? Did you know that they govern your domain names for your blogs and websites and control things like how .com or .net are used? And that they govern matters like how countries us their own internet? They will tell you they are representative of multi-stakeholders around the world but that is a load of BS for P.R. reasons. U.S. Department of Commerce really governs ICANN.

ICANN is: The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers. The Regional Internet Registry system evolved over time, eventually dividing the world into five RIRs. These are the technical “hubs” that allocate and control addresses on the internet. They go like APNIC for Asia Pacific and AFNIC for Africa. I know, I know it is boring. The internet is a huge part of “most” people’s lives. So why do we care about the politics in Washington DC more than we do about what we use the most?

I find all of that very interesting. My internet stops working and I freak out and have withdrawals, my car has a flat and I just fix it, ho hum. And if my country goes to war, I am jaded.

So there is a reason that in a sermon I start out with such little known facts about how most people interact. Interaction with others raises us above most animals and plants. Yes some “lower sentients” are quite advanced in peer/family/social interactions – like Dolphins and Rhododendrons. And what about those crazy ants.

I really like the word “Internet”. Kind of like networks for friends, family, co-workers and those with just a common interest. A net. A tying together. Interwoven. Actually both intra and inter. It is a perfect tool for gratifying interaction. And like most good stuff it can be overused, underused and abused. So often we go into the area of modern communication.

I told my son about letters taking months to be delivered across the Atlantic from America and England. Incomprehensible to him. I remind him to send emails to family. Too fun it is. I am quite certain at eight he has never talked on a land line telephone. For sure never even seen a typewriter. He has written some letters at my insistence. But he is already quite competent using a phone, tablet, Ipad and a laptop. He can figure words that he can do for a search of something. And he gets that just because it is on the internet does not make it right. Math is still done on paper, books are still read that are made out of paper and summaries of that reading are hand written. And of course in class the use pencil and paper. But by this year grades 3 through 6 will have an Ipad per child.

We are so blessed to be able to communicate to loved ones thousands of miles away and even in real time.

Now this is true. In my misspent youth I learned Morse Code. Yes that is a signal of dot dot dot dash dash dash dot dot dot (should be without spaces) And then I learned Semaphore with flags and flashlights. And you can just imagine learning how to smoke signal. And do not forget the two tin cans with a hearty string to talk up to at least 20 ft in a whisper. Oh lest I forget that Morse Code is S.O.S. which came from “save our ship” which is an international signal of severe distress or eminent death without help. Like a sinking ship. I also had a buddy who’s dad was a code talker in the last big war. So he taught me some Navajo so we could “code talk” around teachers. (that actually was grounds for discipline J.

And that leads us up to the heart of love. Love must be expressed. Oh sure it does not need to be spoken and in fact that is inferior to actions. A couple years back I found myself ending a phone call with good old buddies (we must have been friends for over forty years) with “I love you”. Kind of strange I would say but they know me and know that I do love them and now it is frequent for them to end “I love you too buddy”. Ain’t that just grand.

So with all that great history behind us we must ask if the language of love has changed over time. I will conclude one concept right out of the chute. The way I love has changed much and often over 60 years. So we must understand that our personal communication of love changes. We should try to make that as growth in love. But we all know the cantankerous old man who just gets meaner and more vile in his later years. Not what I would call a regression but more akin to making a wrong turn. It would appear that this is kind of some antipathy of love in the realm of apathy – meaning they do not give a dang how you feel or think. Now I would call that like I call really vulgar swearing constantly.

Now “in love” must we share all our thoughts and feelings to be a good communicator? No way you need to tell your spouse just how fat or stupid they are. In this home we are a little bad with that one as saying it out loud just makes all of us giggle. Hey we know our weaknesses and discuss them and so just saying it is down right mean and we know we love each other so mean turns into funny.

I mentioned that above to put forth the concept of groups of people over extended time developing their own separate language of love that might seem totally strange to the stranger. That silly Euro notion of pecks on both cheeks in greeting (normally “air pecks). Bowing in prayer fashion. Hugs? Wow around here they are constant loving food. But some folks never do hug. Go figure. I freak out my in laws with hugs, they never do.

So after all of that we possibly can take a closer look at the communication of love, ours that is, and how it affects others. After all there may be no greater purpose in life than to make another feel truly loved.

Attention. We need to pay attention. I was pondering which is more important, listening or speaking. At first I thought that they were equal. That is wrong. Maybe 3/5’s for listening. It is strange but keeping one’s mouth shut and is a clearer signal of love than saying it out loud.

And here is one too often left out. Communicating clearly. Sloppy speech and writing would suggest you do not care. Around here we are rude and finish each other’s sentences. But it means that we are in synchronicity of love.

Check this out: I would love if you and a loving day and passed that love on to others and give my love to them also. And please do not forget to love me and you.