"There are spirits in the Material World"

"The Spirit of God moves in the waters of repentance, which though troubled, are yet pure." (Thomas Watson, puritan)

Is there anyone beyond this dark screen? Are these words lost in the language of Babel? These are questions which haunt me. What will become of us (or is it only 'me'), in light of this new universe? They say it has made the world smaller.Yet has it not also made the universe bigger. This is not the garden of eden. This is a wilderness in which you can get lost. I don't suppose Adam and Eve ever got lost in the garden. It is not until we go east of eden that we lose our equilibrium, one's sense of direction. Did they say, "Let's always keep eden over our left shoulder." How long was it before they were lost in a myriad of valleys with no apparent road home.

To speak plainly, is the wilderness of the blogosphere a safe place for the Church? Or should this be our next crusade, the latest realm to conquer? With the advent of software, it begs the question of a need for a rabbi. Or is there a new rabbi in town, cloaked in the darkness of this black screen. Perhaps I am insecure if I fear this modern mentor. Maybe it is a legitimate concern, as a reluctant professional whose life is one with the word and the work.

Mine of course is the life of the shepherd. Therefore I stumble through an uncharted desert, (or should I say at least for myself the maps I have to read of this desert are practically incomprehendable). For my sheep dwell here, and here I must be also. I know there are spirits in the material world. But is there a "Ghost in the machine?" Without him I fear we will all perish. Our sense of community will be lost. We need him, as a cloud by day and a fire by night to guide us. Without him these are mere words, and "what are words for when no one listens anymore?" May there be a Ghost in this machine to apply these words in the hearts of those who are gaining the world but losing their souls.