I can pinpoint the exact moment when my dislike of all things chain mail began…
Picture me at home aged approximately 7 or 8. My family and I are having a relaxing afternoon together (I think it was a Sunday) when all of a sudden the mail flap sounds.
My mum goes into the hallway to pick up the letter that has been dropped through our letter box and within a split second what was a relaxing afternoon turns into PANIC, MAYHEM & MADNESS (or at least in my 7 or 8 year old mind), that's right we got a chain letter!
Example: Classic Chain Letter
To be honest I can't really remember the exact details of the chain letter, but what I do know is as with every chain letter (mail or text) if we did not act immediately (i.e., pass it on within 60 seconds) we faced certain/imminent gloom and DOOM! (Possibly financial ruin, heart break and ill health!).
The whole house was in a panic BDSS'ers believe me. Especially as my mother is a superstitious woman (superstitious is probably not the correct word) I don't want you to think she is crazy however like many Caribbean people she believes in obeah/voodoo and the like, so breaking 'the chain' was not something to be taken lightly.
I can't actually remember what my mother did in the end, whether she passed it on or not. So theoretically speaking maybe the events of my families life's has been a direct result of the action taken after that chain letter arrived (who knows).
So there you have it BDSS'ers that was my first chain letter experience and unfortunately it has not been my last.
In school I remember the chain letters took the more love orientated approach: 'Send to ten people and the one you love will ask you out, will kiss you or will declare their love for you. If you don't pass this on you will be loveless for the rest of your life! :-(
Recently I have noticed the chain letter (mail or text)has taken on another form... a more 'If you love Jesus pass to ten people and a miracle will happen' with a if you don't past on to 10 people in 10 seconds then you don't love Jesus undertone.
Now as someone who loves Jesus, however whose first experience of chain mail was a frightening and panic ridden one, I always find myself in a kind of quandary.
As in I really do love the Lord, however I don't believe in chain letters…. I PANIC all over again!
It's like I revert back to that 7 year old child… thinking what do I do?
So I was wondering BDSS'ers what do you do when you receive a chain mail or text? Do you pass it on within 10 seconds or do you press the delete button?
Also do you believe in the power of the unbroken chain? What does it say about me that I don't pass on a Jesus chain?
Great post Si and something that's immensely relevant and popular in this our e-world!
ReplyDeleteWhen I was younger, I would remember Mum also getting some; but simply ripping them up and putting them straight in the bin!!! So I suppose that mentality stuck with me a bit until maybe my mid teens when I too started getting one's threatening my future possibilities of love!! lol
When I get these sorts of forwards whether it be via email, BBM, text and so on, I decide whether it's something that potent enough to me to want to share it with others. Having said that, there's only sooooo many times I can say or send the same thing without becoming a nuisance!! I also love Jesus but the ones that say 'forward to 8 friends and you'll see a miracle' I tend to amend as we really shouldn't be doing such things just because of what we can get out of it. This makes me not feel so bad in not forwarding each and every one!
Prayers, blessings as well as miracles were all in existence before whatsapp, facebook and pingchat stopped being a futuristic dream - and even phonebooks for that matter. So, the same can be forwarded through thought and prayer without your friends and family ever even knowing lol
I hate these chains too, especially the religious ones which leaves me feeling slightly annoyed. There are plenty of ways to spread the word of the Almighty,these emails sometimes put fear into others who are not forwarding them because they have actually thinking about spreading the message but are manipulated by an email curse. I'm a deleter all the way girl, I receive far to many of these and very rarely do they stand out as having anything significant to teach me, but I do forward if they have a nice message. Indeed when I pray it's prompted by myself and not an email.
ReplyDeleteI remember back in the day when those chain letters were going around. Email is one thing, but letters I don't know how people found the time! My mum never received one (not that I know of) she would have ripped it up anyway. But my friends mum is very superstitious, and made my friend bury a mirror in the back garden when she broke it. Nothing like a bit of obeah business superstitions to make me laugh.
It shows you are far too busy for that foolishness girl if you don't pass on the chain!