By now it seems almost everyone with access to a computer, tablet, or smart phone has used some type of video call to connect with people they can’t be with in person. This pandemic has driven even the most technologically challenged people to at least attempt to figure out things like FaceTime, Skype, Zoom, Webex, etc. And these tools have been really helpful to help people see the friends, family, and coworkers they would not have been able to see otherwise.
As difficult as it is proving to be in an extended quarantine at home, we can be thankful that it is happening in an age where we have such helpful technology at our disposal. A hundred years ago, we would have been limited to writing letters to each other - which would have been better than nothing. Twenty years ago, we would have only been to talk to each other on the phone - which would have been superior to only being able to write. But now, we can actually see the people we want to communicate with – which is far better than just hearing their voices. And yet, as great as it is to see the smile that goes with the laughter and the eyes that underscore the words of love, it’s still not the same as being with the person face-to-face. Video calls simply cannot undo the physical separation that this pandemic has caused.
Similarly, we have been physically separated from God because of sin. While we cannot talk with Him face-to-face as we were able to do in the Garden of Eden, we can stay connected to Him through prayer and reading His word. But even though prayer and Bible reading are very helpful, they still aren’t quite the same as being in His presence. Paul says, “Now all we can see of God is like a cloudy picture in a mirror. Later we will see him face to face. We don’t know everything, but then we will, just as God completely understands us” (1 Corinthians 13:12). May we eagerly anticipate the day when we will no longer be physically separated from God!