“Those over-involved with the Internet tend more towards depression.” So says Dr. Glenn McLaren from Swinburne University in Melbourne on a recent podcast from Ockham’s Razor.
It’s worth a listen, especially for those
of us who tend to focus more on theological debates than more scientific or
philosophical ones, if for no other reason than to give that part of your brain
a good workout.
But it’s also worth a listen for those who care deeply about the church and how it is that we can reach out to a flattening world that seems to be almost constantly in flux.
If it is true that the internet is tending
to disconnect us as much as it is connecting us, what might our role be? Of
course social media is valuable for sharing ideas, information, building
relationships, and allowing us to interact with those who are geographically
distant from us.
But Dr. Glenn McLaren also suggests that this over-focus on virtual reality is leaving us feeling cut off from that which is real, solid, and tangible. Community? Meaning? Purpose? Vision? Direction?
The further one travels from original
source data (actually having an in person conversation or interaction with
someone) the more disconnected one feels. Perhaps that is part of the
attraction for those who wish to actually visit the Holy Land, to walk where
Jesus walked…as if somehow touching the actual ground, walking in the same
places, will allow us to cross the divide of 2000 years of separation.
As a church, or as followers of Jesus, or communities of faith, are we not perfectly situated to help alleviate this sense of disconnection? We practice a sacred meal that is tactile, tangible, and that we can ‘see with our eyes and taste with our mouths.’ We have a faith that has been practiced by the body of believers in community.
Perhaps even more than ever we are called to be present, offering the world around us a way to connect with God and with one another?
Recent Comments