The Life We're Looking For: Reclaiming Relationship in a Technological World

by Andy Crouch

Recognition is the primary task of infancy. Feeding, crying, and even sleeping are just the support system for this most essential work of figuring out who we are, and where we are, by making contact with other people, seeing them seeing us, gradually beginning to build our sense of self through their eyes.

There is a consequential difference between personalized and personal. Personalized letters are sent by machines, not persons. Or they are sent by people so busy that they are functioning like machines—like the quick notes many American families inscribe on their holiday cards to far-flung friends.

I think this point is huge. We trade personalized for personal in ministry