John ends his second letter with this statement:
Though I have many things to write to you, I do not want to do so with paper and ink; but I hope to come to you and speak face to face, so that your joy may be made full.
2nd John 1:12
It’s an odd way to write an inspired letter that will be part of the Bible. They may have, but we will never get to talk with John face to face. He does something very similar in his third letter as well.
Why?
It may be as simple as this. Sometimes the best way to handle an issue is face to face. John is dealing in both of these letters with issues that could have a great effect on the church in a specific place and the brotherhood as a whole. He addresses the issue but in the end, he knows the best way to handle this is in person. Even if we don’t get the persona visit, we can learn from his approach.
So much communication in our world today is impersonal. Emails, text, social media. They are faster, easier and can cover so much more ground. But there is a downside. The written word can be misinterpreted, misread and mistaken. Tone, accent, eye contact, and timber can change the meaning and clarity of words when they are spoken rather than written. It’s harder to be cruel when you look someone in the eye. It’s easier to see concern when the face isn’t miles away. There is a give and take in a personal conversation that just isn’t in correspondence. Benjamin Franklin said it this way “Never try to ask by letter, To go yourself is far better”
I think we should remember this. If we have to criticize a brother or a deal with a sensitive issue, we might want to say more and write less. Before we take a written comment too harshly we might want to speak face to face with the person that wrote it. Condemnation is impersonal, concern is not.
If something really needs to be said, doesn’t it deserve to be done face to face?
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