Are pictures really worth 1,000 words?

I ran into a friend today.  She casually mentioned my turning off Facebook. I explained a little further my reasons I personally needed to turn it off for a while, if not permanently.  One of the several reasons being - I would check up on people, the way any caring introverted friend would when they have access to your information with out having to consult you.  A friend would cross my mind, or my newsfeed, so I would go to their homepage and take a quick look to see how they are doing.  Somehow I had convinced myself that even though I don't have time to call, visit or make personal contact in some way or another, this quick glance at their Facebook page or instagram photos would suffice. I was "connecting" to friends that had no idea that I had connected.  I was updating myself on other peoples lives, "keeping up with them" and they didn't have a clue.  These aren't real relationships.

For anyone that happens to stumble across this, my problem is not against Facebook or Instagram. I am not suggesting everyone needs to log off permanently. There are many great aspects of it. And maybe, hopefully, most of you aren't wired the way I am and can use it as a facet of your friendships and your life that solely benefits you in your relationships.  Having 500+ "friends" in my life just straight up overwhelms me.  For me personally, for the way I am wired, I need a smaller circle that I connect deeper with. 

Anyway, after a brief discussion about Facebook, and in light of it, I asked my friend how she was doing.  I assumed she was well... she has beautiful children, a good husband who loves her well... I know because I saw their sweet pictures on instagram, and all of those things are true. But that wasn't the answer she gave me.  When I asked her face to face, her eyes swelled with tears and she went on to tell me about some significant struggles her family is facing.  

How many friends have I "liked" photos of sweet smiling kids, or even briefly walked by quickly commenting on their latest social media update and felt connected to? I felt like, since I know such and such about them, we are close. I know their business... I liked ALL the pictures of their babies for crying out loud.  We might as well be best friends. What if I just took the time to slow down and ask how they were really doing- in person or on the phone, in real time?  Would I get a totally different insight into their lives? Not necessarily a more honest insight, because my friend has some honestly beautiful children, she has a great, hard working, loving husband. I loved seeing their sweet little faces pop up my instagram feed.  But, unfortunately, for relationships that rely mostly on social media to connect, it usually falls short of the whole story.  

I am still processing all of this.  It is weird not to have Facebook.  I sort of feel like I moved away from a town.  But I want to bring more than just pictures of my friends with me...  I want to hear the stories going on behind the pictures.  

"And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:30-31

How exactly can someone like me, who, more times that I would like to admit, relied on Facebook status and photo updates to "connect" with dearly loved family and friends, genuinely care for and love as deeply and wholly as Jesus asks of me?