“In the End, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.”          

 – Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968)

For some time, I was quite reluctant to join an online social network.  Although the invites came, I continued to decline them for various reasons including, but not limited to, the fear of privacy invasion.  Then one day, much to my surprise, I felt a stirring in my heart; I felt I should sign-up  and begin to connect with the friends and family that had gradually slipped out of my life. So I joined.

Truthfully, there are at least a dozen things I dislike about  social networks, but I’m not here today to complain about those. Rather, I want to share with you what I most appreciate about them; which is the opportunity to share in the lives of others.

You see, I have discovered that most people join  social networks in order to  have a “voice.”  In today’s world, cold and impersonal, many folks are simply looking for an opportunity to share the details of their lives, and to know someone cares enough to listen.  I find too, that in the non face-to-face environment of the internet, many folks are less reluctant to share with others their triumphs and their tragedies –to freely share their feelings of  sadness, fear and frustration, as well as their joy.

What better opportunity for us to fulfill the biblical precept to Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep (Romans 12:15).

Yes, I am thankful for the opportunity to pray for those in need, or to speak a word of encouragement to those who are down, even if I have never met them in person.  I know there will certainly be times that I will fail my friends. But as often as I am able, I truly desire to let my friends know that I do care about the details of their lives. And I pray that in the end, it will not be my silence that they remember.