Since no one is likely really reading this right now, I'll start light and save the really heavy, serious stuff for another blog.
"The Island doesn't exist" says Facebook.
I have a mild addiction to Facebook. It would probably be safe to say that most people I know under 30 have some kind of addiction to it. Basically, it's a network website where people can connect, reconnect, and meet new people on the internet. You post your profile and join networks that you are interested in. Others join those networks too and then by looking through the names and connections, you find people. I joined my high school network, my old camp network, PYPS, and a few social groups I've been a part of. Through that, I've reacquainted with people I haven't even thought of in 20 years. It's crazy. And hugely popular.
According to the article, there are 11000 people on Van Isle wanting the Island to become a separate network. It will legitimize where we live and allow people to search for others that are local. At least 11000 people care enough about that to petition the administrators. There are also countless others (like myself) that think while it would be cool for it to happen, don't want to bother petitioning for it.
So why do people care so much? And why is this site so popular? Ask most teens/young adults today and they would tell you that they'd rather live without a TV than a computer or cell phone. Why? Because this is their community. This is their connection to the world. This is how they find their own identity and discover who they are.
One of the greatest images for the church is the family of God. The community of believers. So why is it that this generation is flocking to the internet community to find it's identity and leaving the church in droves? (that is, IF they were ever there in the first place). How can people find greater intimacy with those they know electronically than those in church that are supposed to love them and help grow them in Christ?
As a church and institution, we've always blamed the culture, the society, the world and called it shallow. But maybe it's us that have it wrong. Just maybe Facebook networks ARE more intimate than church friendships. At least 11000 people certainly seem to think so.
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Alright I will answer first, when this first came up I had never heard of Facebook??. So without enough time to check it out before the weekend I went to attend a course, while there I heard reference to it a couple of time about how great and fun it was. Along with a brief about what it was. So now my interest was peaked.
I now have set up a.. profile I guess you would call it on there. It is cute sure fun, interesting, you can find people and see their picture etc... But why is it a big thing? Maybe…… people feel socially safer in this world of relationship, you can be who ever you want others to think you are, keeping your body language and faults to your self. Or maybe we find ourselves far too busy and tired to make the effort needed to go out and visit with friends, and it is just so much easier to keep connected this way. This source of media can be dangerous if we allow this to be our main source of interaction. We can fall into feeling so good about how people are reacting to a distorted picture of who we are, in this environment we are far too free from real life accountability that we may say or create an image of ourselves that is fictional. If we carry this on and begin to enjoy the feelings surrounding our new found image and friends (who also may be in the same fictional place). There would be no real relationship, a perfect environment to harbor our sinful natures since sin loves to be alone. As a Christian I am not saying that because we use this we are sinful but just that we need to be careful not to be trapped. * Next topic the church community; this could get really big just the few thoughts and problems that run through that great void called the mind. Number one we cant blame culture or society because we have joined the church we as an individual have chosen to become part of this community. One thought is that we are more concerned about what others will think of us if they get to know who and how we really are. Am I a real Christian sure I thought so until I actually started reading and listening to what the bible said, then I had to question all sorts of things. I think that many of our “Christian friends and family” struggle with whether they are making the grade and want to keep these things hidden. So on goes the Sunday face, we talk about a few safe topics then head home to relax. It wont be until we engage ourselves in open conversation with the other Christians. (Consciously overcoming the fear of exposing who we really are to others) that we can really feel as free here as we would hiding on the internet. * Conclusion I have chatted with people via email, msn, in the coffee shop but the best and most meaningful is when I gave up the fear of who I was and let other friends into my life.
Without that we are still alone.
Thank you for being the first to reply. While I'd heard that a few people were reading this, none replied - at least online. It's one thing to read and quite another to put yourself out there for others to see.
And I guess that's one of the things I really liked about what you wrote. Church is notorious for people putting on their best selves and faking their way through the service. But that can happen anywhere - work, home, with your friends. But we don't have to let it. We can choose to risk ourselves - put ourselves out there and gamble that others may really like us and God may actually accept us as we are and not as we should be. The internet with its anonymity gives some protection by allowing people to be as honest as they want to be without having to look into the face of rejection. Maybe that's part of its appeal.
But I think there's more to Facebook and the "internet culture". It speaks the language of our culture today. As many in the world talk about the church losing its voice and being irrelevant to the vast majority, Facebook succeeds where we fail. So while we can say it isn't "real", it's far more real to many people today than church is.
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