"The Language of Isolation"

A very thoughtful piece from the Patheos, (which still induces St Vitus Dance in my compute,) pagan channel by Gus diZerega.
He writes about the Oxford Junior Dictionary, which, like any dictionary of a finite capacity, requires vigilance and judgment on the part of its editors as new editions and new words require the jettisoning of older words.
I get it.

But "hamster"?
"Minister"?
"Sin"?

The pointedly pagan Mr. diZerega notes that the natural world and religion lose out in favor of technology, (and what seems to me, trends in the style of communication, rather than substance requiring that communication - which is merely a tool.)

Words inviting relationships were replaced by words closed to them....
We can care about living beings in a way we cannot care about objects... technology refers to things deriving their meaning entirely from us. They are meaningless in themselves...
Pre-modern societies, especially Pagan ones, generally experienced their world as alive and inviting, even requiring, relationship....a number of prominent writers penned an open letter to Oxford University Press pleading the cuts be reversed. They wrote in part …

it is worrying that in contrast to those [words] taken out, many are associated with the interior, solitary childhoods of today. In light of what is known about the benefits of natural play and connection to nature; and the dangers of their lack, we think the choice of words to be omitted shocking and poorly considered. 

A world of things is a world of radical isolation as well as a world mediated by power. It separates us from others in any capacity but their existence as objects....
Childhood is a time for learning the basics about relationships, but our culture is strengthening their sense of being alone, impeding their awareness of perhaps the most basic human quality: the power to care for others beyond oneself.....
We are born powerless, and it is only through relationships that we are enabled to come into our own power.  [which is not so different from the Christian worldview, so long as we know that we grow powerful in the exact measure of the power and will and desire that we cede to the Almighty's]...
Care is a far stronger force for shaping behavior than is knowledge.[emphasis supplied.]

Amen.
Preach it, Brother.
Care.
Which is
Love.
Which is
God.