COMMUNICATING THE FAMILY: A PRIVILEGED PLACE OF ENCOUNTER WITH THE GIFT OF LOVE
____________________________________________________________
Message For the 49th Communications Day In Malawi
SUNDAY 26 JULY 2015
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
On this the 49th World Communications Day, I recall Pope Francis’ theme as stated above and invite you into a reflection that must take the family as point of reference. This is important because, as you are probably aware, we are still in the process of the Synod on Family. Furthermore, on 31 January the Episcopal Conference of Malawi (ECM) invited us as evangelizers to respond to the many social changes in our country enlightened by the AMECEA Plenary that took place here in Malawi in July 2014. During the AMECEA Plenary, the family and communication were two of the topics that were discussed from the same perspective of new Evangelization.
This year’s commemoration of Communications Day gives us yet another opportunity to appreciate the linkages between family life and the use of Information Technology as we seek to find new ways of evangelizing. No doubt these gadgets are good for all of us in many ways. However, these gadgets have also got negative influences on the lives of people depending on how they use them.
Communication In The Family
The Catholic Church holds that the family is the most important part of the society and the Church’s mission. Pope Francis (2015) pointed to the fact that it is in a Christian family that human beings learn to communicate authentically and nurture relationships. In his message for the 49th World Communications Day, Pope Francis draws inspiration from the visitation of Mary to her cousin Elizabeth (Lk 1:39-56) whereby these two women shared profoundly about their faith experiences.
From the Pope’s message one can deduce a few points as follows:
1. In a Christian family, communication must be a dialogue that intertwines body (a child leaping in her womb) and spirit (two women sharing the sense of joy).
2. Communication must draw husband and wife and children into inter-personal relationships and into communication with God in prayer.
3. Members of a Christian family must learn to how to express love and support of one another.
4. A Christian family is a school where members learn to understand and accept one another’s weaknesses and to forgive.
In short, communication is crucial in the life of the Church because, as a family of God, members must learn to be in communion with one another. This is the reason why every Christian must inculcate within oneself an attitude of communicating the Good News with whatever IT gadgets are available for his or her use.
Use of IT Gadgets In Families
According to some studies, Malawi is one of the countries where people have fast adopted use of Information Technology (IT) digital gadgets, especially computers and mobile phones. These have indeed become an essential part of the political and socio-economic life of most Malawians both in rural and urban areas. However, in the same spirit of Pope Francis and in view of the Church’s mission of evangelization, I want to raise two questions for our reflection:
a) How are we employing these gadgets to share stories of love and stay in contact with one another?
b) How are parents and educators helping children and the youth to live responsibly in this digital and media environment?
Listening to experiences of many Christians, it appears that the answers would not be very encouraging considering the following:
a) Husband and Wife
• Some husbands and wives receive inappropriate messages on their mobile phones which lead to tension and misunderstandings in families.
• Some husbands and wives prevent their partners to have access to their mobile phones or computer, which creates suspicion and mistrust between them.
• Some husbands and wives receive phone calls and messages at awkward times – again creating mistrust between partners.
• Some parents instead of recreating with their families or discussing issues with full focus are always busy responding to messages from friends on their mobile phones.
• Some parents seem more concerned with buying expensive gadgets than caring for their children.
b. Children:
• Some young people in schools and colleges spend a lot of money on their mobile phones.
• Some youths access pornographic and unhelpful materials via their phones.
c. Priests and Religious men and Women
Let us also face it: the vices listed above don’t concern only husbands, wives and their children. Even some priests and religious men and women have succumbed to the wrong use of these gadgets. Incidents of some us, for example, being preoccupied with these gadgets during Eucharistic Celebration, meetings and/or attending to our phone during meals or instead chatting with members of our communities are on the increase. If those who have renounced so much to follow and serve Christ behave like this, how are they going to help families and the youths to learn proper use of these gadgets?
A Call to Conversion
The experiences regarding use of IT gadgets in Christian families briefly outlined above call for a Christian response. We ought to resolve to make our Christian families a privileged place of encounter with God’s gift of love by communicating in a truly Christian manner through whatever means that are at our disposal. Let these tools and all the others that we have be a means of helping us to live a happy family life and move closer to God. Let them not take away our time for our families and God. Let them not prevent us from fulfilling our duties – whether these duties are education or earning a living. May our mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary, who always had time for God and her family pray for us.
Yours in Christ,
Right Reverend Martin Mtumbuka
Bishop Chair for Social Communication
Episcopal Conference of Malawi
26 July 2015