Ok, I've finally done it. I have joined Facebook, the social networking site that allows individuals to become connected once again. Last week I received another invitation to become a member and now I am connected with 70 friends from MS, GA, AL, and TN, and even Australia. Facebook is clean, fun, and quite informative. But don't join if you are an extremely private person. Don't join if you are one who wants to forget the past rather than relive it.
But I am a minister and part of my job is to poo-poo on all things cool. Just kidding, but not really. As I was reflecting on this I must say that I began to think of the theology of Facebook. I was fairly disappointed with myself for automatically pondering the possible drawbacks, temptations, and sins of the social networking world. I was becoming the clergy that I often can't stand to listen to or read. So I told myself that I was not going to do such a thing. Facebook is good, moral (if you want it to be), and about community. And to a certain degree it is.
BUT..(there's is always a BUT when a minister speaks) how much of Facebook is really just about finding out the scoop on people we never will talk to again. And is that community? It may just be another easy way to relate to people but to not actually get involved. It feels good though. The reason that this occured to me was because I joined a wonderful organization called Watering Malawi. The organization is about raising money so that people in a particular village in Africa can easily get water to their crops and homes from a nearby lake. It is awesome and doing a lot of good. I joined their cause through Facebook. And now I feel good and fuzzy about it. And then a friend of mine noticed that I did this and he joined WM and it is listed as me recruiting him to WM. This made me feel even better...but I really did nothing. But is still feels rather nice.
I think this is a trend within American Christianity. I am part of the problem. We have made God safe and community safe. But everything I read in Scripture deals with risk, faith, and authentic relationships. We fulfull our expectations but do we really ever get involved. We communicate with others from a distance but rarelly strive to get to know others on a deep level.
And by the way, I don't plan on deleting my Facebook account.
But I am a minister and part of my job is to poo-poo on all things cool. Just kidding, but not really. As I was reflecting on this I must say that I began to think of the theology of Facebook. I was fairly disappointed with myself for automatically pondering the possible drawbacks, temptations, and sins of the social networking world. I was becoming the clergy that I often can't stand to listen to or read. So I told myself that I was not going to do such a thing. Facebook is good, moral (if you want it to be), and about community. And to a certain degree it is.
BUT..(there's is always a BUT when a minister speaks) how much of Facebook is really just about finding out the scoop on people we never will talk to again. And is that community? It may just be another easy way to relate to people but to not actually get involved. It feels good though. The reason that this occured to me was because I joined a wonderful organization called Watering Malawi. The organization is about raising money so that people in a particular village in Africa can easily get water to their crops and homes from a nearby lake. It is awesome and doing a lot of good. I joined their cause through Facebook. And now I feel good and fuzzy about it. And then a friend of mine noticed that I did this and he joined WM and it is listed as me recruiting him to WM. This made me feel even better...but I really did nothing. But is still feels rather nice.
I think this is a trend within American Christianity. I am part of the problem. We have made God safe and community safe. But everything I read in Scripture deals with risk, faith, and authentic relationships. We fulfull our expectations but do we really ever get involved. We communicate with others from a distance but rarelly strive to get to know others on a deep level.
And by the way, I don't plan on deleting my Facebook account.
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