The Ministry of Writing Letters
Have you written a letter lately? If not, I encourage you to consider doing it. In fact, I encourage you to make letter and note writing a habit. Phone calls, text messages, emails and social media connections can facilitate useful communication, I agree. But none of these replace the value of a letter.Have you ever considered that most of the New Testament is given to us as letters - letters to groups of churches, individual churches and individual people? Letter writing is a powerful and significant form of communication, especially between friends and fellow Christians. Why?
- Writing a letter requires especially careful thought.
- Writing a letter expresses genuine personal interest.
- Writing a letter takes time, more so than other ways of expression.
- Writing a letter costs something (paper, card, envelope, postage, etc.).
You can probably give more good reasons!While preparing and delivering a letter or handwritten note may be more inconvenient and costly, it is this very fact that makes letter writing so meaningful and special. When you invest the time, thought and expense required to give a letter, you say something more than words alone. You tell someone that you care about them in a special way that transcends electronics, technology and convenience.
In an age like ours, which is not given to letter-writing, we forget what an important part it used to play in people's lives (Anatole Broyard).
Think carefully about what you write. Write from your heart. Share meaningful, thoughtful words. Be a true friend. Consider writing someone a letter or note today - or later this week! You'll be glad you did, and so will the person on the other side. What a difference a letter can make.
