Dear Everybody,

Have you had the same experience as me?  Recently I’ve had increasing numbers of phone calls and emails from people trying to trick me.  The phone calls tell me that I’ve won a holiday, or some other prize, and say to press a number to continue.  The emails pretend I’ve sent them an email, and ask me to connect with them for further information.  Either way, I disconnect.

I did have a nuisance caller before for a long period (a former parishioner with a well-developed mental illness).  Eventually it reached such a pitch that I called in the police, but they said they couldn’t prosecute because of the caller’s clinical madness.  So I learned to live with it, screened all my calls, turned off the telephone bell at night, and used a digital answering machine.  In time, the calls stopped.

I mind the modern version of the nuisance call more.  At least my ex-parishioner couldn’t help it.  But it irritates me to think how many people must have been taken in by trick selling or by conning people into paying premium phone rates.  And I mind the 15-20 minutes a week it takes me to protect myself from these tricks, and the fact that I no longer rush for the phone.

“It’s good to talk”.   Communication with those who we love is so important.  If there’s someone you know, especially someone lonely, who would appreciate contact, do give them a real phone call with no strings attached, just for a chat, or write them a letter.  Whether or not we believe that God loves us, we all know how much of a difference feeling loved makes.  Think what life would be like if the only communication you got was these wheedling calls.

God bless you in all that you do.