had we but world enough and time

The title comes from a poem by Marvell which aims to seduce a woman fast using the whole carpe diem thing. An amusing poem, but basically the 17th C version of a pick up line. Is it right though?

I have been excited by reconnecting with people on facebook but have been struck by the fact that I don't manage to keep up with existing friends at the moment, let alone refound or new ones. I have been able to have more contact with people than I otherwise might have, but it is still not the same as good ol face-to-face time. Sure relationships can be difficult, but life has been teaching me that people of all sorts are worth knowing. So the lack of time saddens me.

This is one thing that really draws me about eternity , and the Christian view of it - is that we spend it in community with those who take hold of forgiveness in Christ. Those people that moved far away will be right next door. Those people who for some reason although they seemed great we never got past polite acquaintance with - we will be able to go bowling with. Those people we have relationship struggles with - even though in our heart we really want to be friends with - we will be laughing with them over a cuppa about it. I can't wait. And I want to take people with me.

So sorry Marvell, we do have, in hope, in Christ, world enough and time (and heaven and eternity too).

quick catch up

Me: had awful gastro thing. Better now. Meanwhile everything gone chaotic.
husband forthwith known as Bhaer (do you know your Little Women?): Busy essaying
Sparky: is reading his first readers.
Owl: is waving and crawling everywhere
The house: less said the better
The garden:lovely and neat - will post piccies soon
Facebook: ah the addiction continues unabated...

Just watching Aussie idol as I write this and an early fave is Holly.

more facebook propaganda

I have been thinking about the privacy issues re internet pursuits such as blogging and facebook, myspace. I have read a few articles about the internet generation (which I am a bit older than...) having a different conception of privacy.

I have been thinking through such issues as - what do you do when someone you have issues with wants you to be a friend on facebook? now facebook has some ways around this - you can make yourself only visible to friends (though this then means you can't have the serendipitous reconnection with old friends) or you can block people (whats to say that someone can't sign in as a different name, or ask a mutual friend whether you are on facebook?). It means that you will now find it very hard to leave relationships behind.

I think this is, rather than a problem, instead a very good thing. It brings back the village. People used to have to live lives of getting along, sorting things out, putting up with eccentricities, everyone knowing your business, because people lived in small communties their whole lives. I think this taught the practicalities of love - you didn't just have to love when it was easy, when someone was the same as you. I think it teaches civility - we don't have to all be best friends, but we should all be able to be civil with each other.

And think on this if you are a christian - if you are going to live with other christians in eternity - what! can't you live with them now on facebook?

Of course this is all in my humble I'm still in the honeymoon period opinion. What do others think?

facebook addiction

I would like to confess my new facebook addiction. Part of the addiction is that it is engineered to have things happen to you everyday or to people you know, so you feel like you should check back to find out....

But I have found facebook a good thing because:
- 1) many of my friends who are parents with small kids are on it. This time of your life can be quite isolating - this gives us some degree of community and support without leaving the house.
- 2) there are many people I know and like who I would love to spend time with or get to know better but can't because of 1) or because they live too far away. This enables me to keep some degree of friendship going until a later time when there might be more chance to catch up
- 3) it is good with church people, now I can know what is going on for them sooner - as a part time pastor this helps.

it isn't a substitute for depth interaction face-to-face or even on the phone, but it fills in the gaps until this can happen.

facebook

sorry dear blog, i hae a new current obession - my facebook ! but I promise not to neglect you. Joined this week - already been good for connecting with long lost friends, and for keeping up with how people I see more frequently are day to day (like see who is sick and so on).