The Summer is here again and we are all preparing to go to fun places, visit friends and family that we haven’t seen in a while and enjoy the world that God has given us. Kids will leave their classmates and neighbors behind and will make new acquaintances, build new friendships and expand their horizons.
In this new world of the digital age, however, though we travel far and wide we manage to stay connected even with those we leave behind! Facebook and other social media help us exchange messages, photos and even live videos from many thousands of miles away. We remain close to everyone – just a mouse-click away. Many of us have iPhones and androids, iPads and laptops and we carry them around looking for a signal to get us online. Our voice travels through the air in a miraculous way reaching those we left behind to assure them that we are doing well. Images and videos are transmitted to websites and cloud-drives, sharing with others what our eyes are seeing and our ears are hearing. We are living at an amazing time!
It seems to me that this digital connection, however, which can be achieved wherever we may be through air waves and satellites, is not very different from the spiritual connection we can always have with God wherever we are. The spiritual one is even easier, because we do not need smartphones or tablets, cloud-drives, hard drives or websites. God’s satellite reaches everywhere without the need of any equipment. His “Facebook” is always open and ready to receive and interface with each one of us at any time, anywhere.
Prayer is the way we connect to God. Prayer is a loving relationship with Him Who sustains our life, grants us wisdom and understanding, protection and health. We need to make sure that each day we plug into God’s source of energy and life so that we may continue to live both physically as well as spiritually. We should never forget that the goal of our lives is to become Holy as God is Holy; that our ultimate vacation destination is the Kingdom of God!
Our earthly vacation needs to be a very pleasant one, but it can also be a very blessed one, as well. We have the means to attain both goals. Let’s have fun but not sin! Let’s remember to connect to God as we connect to the people around us. It is good for our physical and emotional welfare to have friends, to love and feel loved! It is also good for our spiritual welfare and eternal salvation to love God and experience His love.
My brothers and sisters, let us travel, have fun, but stay connected. Let us make sure that those we left behind share with us the sights and sounds of our experiences as we travel. But, more than anything else, let us not lose our connection with God. No matter where you may be, seek the closest Orthodox church nearby for the Sunday services. Above all, raise your heart and mind and offer your praise and glorification to God from anywhere and at any time. His network is never down. Your voice will always reach Him. Your messages will always be received. His Grace will always be with you!
Have a Joyous Summer and a Blessed Vacation!
Fr. Panayiotis Papageorgiou, Ph.D.