One World, Under Facebook, with liberty and...justice?

The internet is a lonely place. As I was repacking my husbands closet (where we keep all the future kitchen and home type things for the future, because we just got another tea set, where we will be all set to drink tea every day and not have to do dishes for like 3 weeks) I was thinking specifically about Facebook, and I was picturing how it would look within the real world.

I pictured a busy room, a crowded, loud fair, with a hum of voices. I pictured people standing quietly, holding signs over their heads with their statuses smeared across them. The expression on their face echoing whatever emotion was expressed. Some with longing faces, watching as people passed them by, favoring more interesting expressions. Some where waiting, some were browsing other signs, avoiding eye contact because if you actually look at someone and they see you looking, it's embarrassing to walk by without saying something. Some are ranting political messages, shouting and jumping on anyone that doesn't agree. They whack people over the heads with their statuses, and try to rip other signs away. The floor is wet with tears and sighs of resignation. Most people tiptoe to the corner with the cute kitten pictures after awhile.

I remember being a kid, after church, clutching my book of poems. I followed the adults around that didn't look too busy and said, "Do you want to read my poem?" I remember some of the people humored me and smiled and read, and I stood and waited and balanced on one foot or stopped to chat with others. I waited until they were done and scouted out my next victim. I wanted so much to be heard, but as I got older and distracted by my own stupidity and let writing slip away from me, I didn't want to be heard. I didn't want to let myself feel and be betrayed by the truth I knew my words would say.
Facebook is kind of like kid-me. I get the feeling. People wanting to be heard, to be looked in the eyes, but also scared of actual eye contact because it's been awhile. Often we don't say what we want, or we scratch the surface with vague, tenderly painful hints at what is really wrong.

But, you know, we aren't waiting for other people to make us feel better. Before Facebook, a friend was defined by being there for you, someone you can call in the middle of the night, and you didn't have 400 of them. You had a few. And now some of us wring ourselves out, stalking 200ish people, because we met them once, and used to chat a lot a long time ago. Or because we have or had a job in common. It feels a little silly.

I want to encourage everyone reading this that the Lord wants to look you in the eye, and listen to the things that are hard to verbalize. He knows the verbs before you choose them, and can fill the hole that facebook can't fill. It will never bring wholeness and peace and friendship. It's a vehicle to those things, and isn't bad. But for how much time it sucks away, it isn't all that good, either.

What do you think?