A Message with an Impact
While in Vermont for a wedding, I happened to be driving by a Church and noticed the following message posted on a large sign near the entrance:
Honk if you love Jesus!
Text while driving
if you want to meet him!
Regardless of your religious affiliation, the message is quite powerful. Nevertheless, I am not sure it is a ringing endorsement to attend Church since the message implies that you can get closer to Jesus by texting while you drive than by sitting in a pew.
Now, I am all for clever word play to make your point, but the context or setting must be taken into consideration when crafting your message. While the message at the Church entrance is certainly a “public service” and “driver safety” message, many would consider it out of place at a House of Worship.
Similarly, “texting,” “writing” on someone’s Facebook Wall or “tweeting,” is very much different than sending a personal note on fine stationery. For the most part, digital exchanges on Facebook and Twitter are public manifestations and lack the warmth and intimacy of a personal exchange of correspondence.
While the words or message may be identical in either medium, the handwritten note bestows a level of considered importance that most forms of digital communication simply can’t match. A well-crafted note written on elegant stationery simply stands out from the seemingly endless clutter that daily piles up in our inbox or the ever-present demands to stay in touch with our social media friends.