It frustrates and saddens me when some Christians talk about evangelism, the mission field, and emotional health, they point to the internet, cell phones, and specifically facebook and twitter as obstacles to be overcome. Sometimes it is not explicitly stated, a pastor will simply list a bunch of statistics about facebook being the third largest country in the world and 10 million texts being sent every hour, and then say “and in this world, we are challenged to reach out to people.” I feel that implies that the statistics are a challenge laid before us, even if it’s not said so outright. In other cases, speakers are not so subtle. I have heard Christians suggest that we all smash our cell phones so we can be more effective evangelists, or write that we will never have true community unless we abandon “false” relationships online.
The reason I find all this so frustrating is because I have found facebook, twitter, and texting to be awesome tools for connecting with people, expanding my sphere of influence, and being more effective in my ministry.
Ben and I have found that most of the people who attend our small group prefer facebook to e-mail and texting to phone calls. Although this has forced us to adjust our mindset slightly, we can get more of the people we care about to show up and participate if we connect with them through a medium they prefer. Is there a problem with this?
In the last ten years I have lived in three different states. In all of those states I befriended people who are passionate followers of Jesus and have pursued ministries in any number of areas. Right now I have friends in California, Illinois, Minnesota, Wyoming, Missouri, Washington D.C., Massachusetts, Washington State, Georgia, Louisiana, Tennesee, Iowa, England, Germany…you get the picture. Without facebook and twitter I would not be able to keep up with all of these friends with any kind of consistency and participate in ministry and my vocation with any kind of effectiveness. It is because of these tools that I can efficiently connect with all kinds of people over a staggering geographic range with a couple of keystrokes. I can let them all know what is going on in my life at one time, and read about what’s going on in their lives through status updates, blogs, and even photographs all in one place. I don’t see how that is false relationship, because there are real human beings on both ends of it.
I will go on to say that facebook in no way has replaced face-to-face contact or phone conversations with people I love. But even those contacts are augmented by online networking tools. When I speak to a friend for the first time in a couple months, I can already know the major events of their lives and get to the heart of what they’re going through and excited about.
Furthermore, I have found that people I would never have thought of sharing with really care about what’s going on in my life. When the woman who’s making coffee for Sunday morning church says, “Hey, Lauren! I heard about that agent who’s looking at your manuscript, congratulations! I’m praying for you,” I am aware in a new way that she cares about me even though we haven’t had a ton of face-to-face, in-depth contact. This opens up new relationships to me, which I consider invaluable.
As I writer, even without a lot (or any) success in the publishing industry, I can write a story or poem that is close to my heart and with one click send it out to all the locations mentioned above. Hundreds of people can read it and hopefully benefit from it’s message. In a world where getting my work in print is more difficult than ever, God is still using the gifts he’s put in me to have an effect on the culture I live in.
The events feature on facebook has allowed me to expand my ability to invite to hundreds of people, just locally to events and outreach opportunities. Try getting on my profile right now and check out the group of over 200 people who are praying for my friend Josh’s eyes to be healed. I’ve been able to leverage the size of that sphere of influence to help bolster organizations like Breaking Free, World Vision, and Discover the Journey. We can more efficiently collaborate with people across the globe about the best ways to provide clean water to poor countries, to spread awareness about human trafficking and extreme poverty, and yes, even to spread the message of Jesus to every tribe and tongue.
This blog is not meant to tear anyone down or make anyone feel guilty or uncomfortable. No, my hope is that this blog will excite you about the myriad of opportunities to connect with people in meaningful ways, to spur each other on to good works, to combine our efforts to have a greater effect on the world, and to enhance our flesh and blood relationships. We should be riding this incredible wave, taking advantage of the awesome opportunities that God has provided for us to change our world for the better. Let us not be afraid of what is new and unfamiliar, let us not cower in fear that what is different from our experience will end in madness and destruction. Let us not be afraid, because we know that God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but gave us courage, love, and a sound mind.