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PRAYER FOR THE WEEK
Jesus, help me communicate as often by talking as I do by texting - and really listen to people! Amen.

A young man asked Jesus how to get to heaven. "Follow the Ten Commandments," Jesus said. The man said, "I do that already." Jesus told him, "One more thing: Sell everything you have and give the money to the poor, then come follow me." The man sadly went away, because he was rich and didn't want to do what Jesus asked.

Lately, the news has reported that, because kids text so much now, they're forgetting how to have a polite conversation with other people "IRL" ("in real life"). It's a lot easier to text, "Sorry," than to look in someone's eyes and say it!

Those news stories may be a little over-the-top. You do talk to people every day. But it's still good to remember that texting isn't the only way to communicate.

In a way, this week's Gospel (Mark 10:17-30) is about that idea. Jesus meets a young man who asks how to get to heaven, and it seems at first like he wants a quick and easy answer. Jesus gives him one, like a quick text: Obey the Ten Commandments. Respect God and your family, and don't kill, steal, lie or be jealous.

Then it seems like the young man wants more. He doesn't accept that getting to heaven could be so simple. But when Jesus challenges him to give up his money, to become poor and follow Jesus, the man is too scared to follow through.

Seeing the look on someone's face and hearing their tone of voice can be better than texting. It makes everyone's words clearer. But it can also be uncomfortable. You're not limited in how many words you say, and you can't put the phone down or delete the words.

When we ask for more, we get it. The young man who seemed to want to follow God more closely changed his mind when he found out what that meant. You can be braver than that, though: When you talk with someone face-to-face, really listen! Texts are great, but they don't communicate everything - and communicating is worth it.[[In-content Ad]]

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