Wokingahm Word article - fEBRUARY 2010
My Real World...
‘ I see trees of green........ red roses too, I see em bloom..... for
me and for you And I think to myself.... what a wonderful world.’ So sang
Louis Armstrong.
Every day I now enter into a new world where I can grow crops, milk cows, collect
eggs, buy houses, plant trees and even brush reindeer. Not only that, but my
friends send me gifts and I return the favour. I can even visit their farms
and help them out and all without ever having to move from my armchair. I confess
I am one of the growing list of people ‘addicted’ to living in a
virtual world.
Is it the cute animation, the pleasure of seeing my new world grow, the friendly
competition between friends, or the pleasure of reaching yet another level,
which keeps me logging on? Whatever the reason, I can’t resist looking
to see the progress being made and admire my new creation. Of course in reality,
the world is a very different place. I have never milked a cow, or planted a
crop and certainly can’t harvest tulips in the snow. I realise too that
my virtual world offers me no real interaction with people. I don’t even
have to talk to them or get involved in any way. In addition,the gifts we exchange
are just computer generated images, that can’t be touched, smelt, tasted
or held.
My real world, holds much more promise. An approaching wedding, with the joys of sharing with family and friends, celebrating the gift of a loving relationship. The birth of a new grandchild, holding that new child in my arms and sharing the joy of a new life. I realise too that in the real world there are struggles and difficulties. As I write my mum faces surgery for cancer. Yet even in that there is the privilege of being able to reach out to each other in loving suppport. Sharing the hurt and concern and dare I say being all the richer for it.
The Psalmist in the bible says ‘Taste and see that the Lord is good’. Psalm 34 verse 8. he goes on to say ‘Blessed is the man who trusts in Him’. I’m glad that the world God gave us is a beautiful world, with all it’s richness and diversity. Truly a ‘wonderful world’ So, I’ll put down my keyboard and step out into the real world.
By Major Lynn Hawkins, Salvation Army for and on behalf
of Churches Together in Wokingham