Disconnection

For those reading this outside of QLD the weather we've been having over the last couple of weeks has caused problems for many homes across the State. There rain has flooded many areas, the wind has taken down branches and power lines but perhaps the biggest concern residents have has been a lack of power.

Now obviously having no electricity means many household appliances simply shut down: fridges, freezers, washing machines, etc. For a young person like myself this is devastating: I couldn't watch television, couldn't play Halo on the xbox and couldn't use my phone or computer once their batteries ran flat which meant I couldn't access facebook (GASP!)

It felt like the apocalypse! I had no access to the rest of the world, I was deprived of connection with the rest of humanity. It made me realise how much I take for granted access to technology and social networks. It's the reality of the world our young people belong to: they have instant connection to the world via facebook, twitter, smart phones and/or iphones.

It's often said that Gen Y and Gen Z (it scares me that there's a whole generation after mine, am I really that old?) lack social skills because they are only adept at facebooking or tweeting, but what these generations have achieved is limitless networking with the rest of the world. Our generation is about connections -just take a look at how many facebook "friends" you have and how many you actually would connect with on a regular basis. It's not a bad thing, but it's important to recognise that young people want to belong to something; be it a social network, or a band, or a sports team, anything: if you're like me you want to feel like your existence means something to others.

That is what vocation is all about: connection with God and with the Church community. You ARE meant for something, you're called to that connection with God and with the world. So next time you log into facebook, let it inspire you to think about how you want to connect with God and with the world - or how God might be calling you to connect.