“Contact”
May 14, 2014
by
Emilio Chaviano

One of my favorite movies is “Contact” based on a story by Carl Sagan featuring Jodie Foster and Matthew McConaughey. I think about this film when I drive around and I see small dish antennas in homes and apartments. Imagine a dish a thousand times the size of those home devices. At the Arecibo radio observatory in Puerto Rico there is one that big designed to receive signals from outer space. It is enormous! Humans are wired to be in contact and to communicate with others. Our craving for communication is also evidenced in the popularity of cell phones, i-Pads and other mobile gadgets that allow us to keep in touch with others. Unfortunately the fast paced life most of us lead keeps us from carefully listening to that friend, spouse, child, neighbor or stranger who is just a few inches and not light years away. We have the technology to communicate at the speed of light at great distances, while face-to-face meaningful conversations can be a real struggle. We simply need more and better listening. In the type of listening I call “contact listening” we not only learn about the other person, but we learn about ourselves. It is also possible to communicate with God for the ultimate form of contact. Our souls crave this connection and we are able to communicate with the source of all life if we seek that relationship. Let’s make contacts that matter by taking time to really listen. It is even better when we work on our connections with people and with God at the same time. Best of all, you won’t even need the internet. Amazing!