Do you know your Facebook friends?

Do you KNOW your Facebook friends?

Over the past weeks I have been thinking about this question.   So many people are relying on Facebook to keep in touch that they actually lose touch with friends by not spending time with them face to face or even talk on the phone.  We have a false reality that just because we are “friends on Facebook” that we actually know someone.  We read about their everyday lives, look at their photos and cling to their news feeds all while gaining a false sense of friendship.  How many times do we actually meet these friends face to face, look into their eyes and hear their  stories?

I  believe that keeping in touch with those from the past is important and Facebook is a great way to do that.  But when Facebook takes the place of a coffee date or a phone call I believe we hurt our relationships.

This false sense of knowing someone reminds me of how a lot of people view their relationship with God.  They know a lot about Him but fail to really know Him.  We can have knowledge about someone without having a relationship with them.  God wants us to know Him.  He desires to hear our voice and express our needs.

There is something amazing that happens to the human soul when a person decides to look inside by sitting and listening to another persons story and dreams.  The eyes are a window to the soul.  How can we really “see” someone if we are simply looking at a computer screen?