We have to communicate

People today have all sorts of ways of communicating with each other. You can talk or pass notes; you can write letters or call people on the phone or cell phone. You can use a beeper or pager, send email, or instant-message someone.

When Jesus was alive, there were only a few ways to communicate. But in this week's Gospel (Mark 1:7-11), God the Father finds a new one: He calls all the way from heaven to talk to Jesus.

With all the ways people can talk today, it can get confusing. You might call someone who emails you back, or page someone who calls you. You probably have a lot of different ways of communicating!

In Jesus' time, things were harder. There were no phones or computers and no post office, so people couldn't call or email each other, and their letters took a long time to arrive.

With so many ways to communicate now, some people forget to say important things. It's easy to say, "Oh, I can always call them later," instead of telling someone you love them right now!

God the Father didn't forget. He knew that Jesus was starting a tough job -- teaching people about God -- and needed to know His Father loved Him. God the Father didn't even need a phone: He called all the way down from heaven that He loved Jesus and was proud of Him!

That was 2,000 years ago. Today, it's a lot easier for us to get hold of someone when we want to. Whether we call, write or email, we don't have any excuse not to tell someone, like God did: "Hey, over there! I love you!"