I have never known an era where there is so little privacy. So many talk about protecting our privacy and yet we are asked to provide quite personal details when we apply for jobs or make appointments at our doctors and I am sure there are many other situations where we have to give details we would never have dreamt of giving before.
When I ring my doctor, I have to tell a receptionist what the problem is and give my date of birth. They sometimes ask for this when I am standing in reception and I don’t know why I should have to tell everyone how old I am. I certainly don’t want to discuss my health issues with a receptionist on the basis that they vet who needs to see a doctor. They are not health specialists and I am appalled that they have this responsibility, let alone these private details.
When applying for a job I have to say my ethnicity and how I identify my sexuality. Outrageous and nothing to do with the jobs I apply for. You can refuse to answer of course but then you might not get selected for interview.
More and more our right to privacy is being slowly chipped away. Vast amounts of data are being kept about our shopping habits and if we belong to a social media site, I am sure there is a lot of information out there in the ether about how we behave, who our friends are, our schooling and lots more about where we live, work and our social standing.
The world is becoming a lot smaller and I think we have to fight against how much information we allow people to know about us. I don’t belong to Facebook, Instagram or any other social media sites because I want to protect my privacy. I think it is important to do this as you are unique. Your personal details shouldn’t be out there for everyone to see, or if you do need to belong to one of these sites then don’t put more information on them than is needed. You don’t own the rights to some of the things you share and should find out about being able to delete any details you give permanently.
Let’s retain our uniqueness and not become part of a crowd effect. Just because everyone else does it, doesn’t mean it is right for you.
Psalm 139: 1-18 beautifully sums up how unique we are to God:
You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord know it completely. You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain. Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,” even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you. For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. How precious to me are your thoughts,God! How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand— when I awake, I am still with you.
God bless you and may you cherish your uniqueness,
Widows Mote 