This is going to be the most blogged about, Twittered about, techno-fiddled Gathering in history. Heck, I’m even joining the fray. But as I look around and see the youth texting and plugged into iPods and the adults quick to draw their cell phone as soon as they have a free moment, I wonder: What is all this technology doing to us?
Shane Hipps has recently convinced me, in his book Flickering Pixels, that no technology is neutral; all of these things deeply form and shape us. The key is understanding what is happening and then embrace or reject (or both!) each form of technology.
As I look around and ponder these things, here is what I observe: These new technologies are…
1. connecting us, though I imagine in ways that are not entirely neutral (nor always positive). On the positive side, many of those who could not make the trip can be a part of it virtually in a variety of ways. Perhaps all this technology helps to connect us more deeply as local congregations.
However, there is a strange twist to this. Because we are so electronically connected, instead of immersing ourselves in this new place away from home we are connected virtually to a dozen other communities back home. This is related to my next concern…
2. making us less present… to the moment, to those surrounding us. Instead of being right here, right now we are engaged with someone else, often somewhere else.
3. potentially undermining a strong belief in the incarnation. A central confession of the Christian Faith is that the Lord Jesus, fully God and begotten eternally from the Father, is also fully human, born of Mary. Flesh matters. Bodies matter.
And so AT & T was ironically wrong many years ago when the company invited us to “reach out and touch someone.” An embrace is not possible virtually. Wiping a tear is not possible virtually.
It’s not as if I’m immune from these pressures. But during this I’m going to try to keep my cell phone in my pocket as much as possible [except when I’m Twittering–see how difficult these waters are to navigate?], so I don’t miss the God (who is everywhere present and fills all things) right in front of my face. Wait, is that my cell phone?