CLICK GIFTS

We simply love them. If we’re honest with ourselves and others we’re dependent on them. But this dependence—unlike many dependencies—is almost entirely healthy, helpful, meaningful and purposeful. It’s the dependence on the humble ‘click gift’ we give and receive when we “fellowship” with our social network, increasingly through Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn etc.

A click gift is given when we “like” a status or click “comment” and leave someone our heartfelt thoughts, love and support. A click gift is received when we open our accounts up and commence reading our notifications, exploring those new people who want to know and connect with us.

These click gifts are a big part of what makes today’s relational world turn around.

Amazingly we are now impacting lives half a world away. I routinely pray for and think about some of the friends I’ve never met face to face, but who nonetheless have made such an important impact in my life, personally. I love them and they me!

There are those too who I knew a long time ago. My mind and heart are mystified how life has moved on for both of us... somehow we’ve both remained over an interceding generation, now in many cases with kids and in some cases, grandchildren! And a billion stories of life between.

These social networking applications have totally re-configured life; our lives are now so almost completely integrated as our history meets our present and we travel the world in microseconds. With our “friends” we open up, communicating what’s really on our hearts. And this is good. They reciprocate and support. It’s a marriage of humanitarian faith.

Click gifts I’m so in amid of. They are the tangible way I can relate with you. And “you” (for me) is what life is truly about! God helps me feel through you. He uses you to make my life meaningful. And this is the same for all people. We need each other.

We are reliant on our fellow human beings for our state of relationship with life.

The richest life, so far as the social networking is concerned, is about investing in and reaping of click gifts. They’re making meaning for all of us!

© 2010 S. J. Wickham.