Things that
drive me crazy. Here’s one—cell phones that go off in services, particularly a
very solemn service like Good Friday. No less than six phones went off this
year, a record for those counting. Worse, I was part of an early prayer meeting
with leaders of the church last Thursday, and yes, a cell phone went off right
in the middle of my prayer. And I
lost my train of thought with God. It was maddening…especially because it was
my cell phone! For a moment, I had
visions of the Verizon commercial, where the offender falls into the grave.
Let’s face
it—there is a spreading disease out there. The symptoms are lives with lots of
words on the page, and little white space left. We are becoming overly
connected, such that it is almost impossible to get disconnected. And as I
shared this weekend, technology seems to be doing its best to create even more
opportunities to connect. Twitter is just one of the latest tools to keep us
connected—joining snail mail, land line, cell phone, texting, Instant
Messaging, Facebook, MySpace, etc.
What makes
Twitter unique is that it is an online service in which one is confined to 140
characters or less. So most of the twittering amounts to issuing updates on the
daily minutia of our lives…what we’re watching, eating, feeling, at any given
moment…to no one in particular. On the good
side, Twitter’s an amazing tool for instant updates, alerts that must get out
immediately. Other online opportunities have the potential for us to make
contact with people we have not connected with in years. One co-worker recently
shared how Twitter and other tools have enabled her to establish contact with
people she has ministered to in the past, and how God is opening doors to
extend discipleship. I think that is great.
But as a
caution, we sometimes need to stop and ask ourselves what are the dangers. This
weekend I raised a number of questions with the congregation, questions
regarding online technologies:
-are we
lulling ourselves into believing we are more connected than ever—when in
reality we might be becoming less and less connected?
-could
Twitter—and other technologies--be another way of dwelling too much on
ourselves, a subtle slide into narcissism, more about self-gratification than
community building?
Last week I
came across a recent article in Relevant magazine entitled: “Twitter: What’s It Doing to Us?” in
which it asks these and other questions…
-what are
incessant interruptions—mostly empty of meaning—doing to our minds, our souls?
-could
constant updates—with tiny bits of information--that give us little time to
reflect—condition us over time to no longer have the capability of reflection. Are
we being trained to become indifferent to real needs?
Here’s what
I am wondering—
-if we’re
always available, are we worth anything when we are available?
-can we
have so many friends, that we no longer really have a friend?
-is the
slow drip of trivia pulling us away from the hard work of authentic community
and connection?
It’s not
that I am trying to sound like a Luddite, protesting technological advances. But
I am wondering where it is all going. For now, I have drawn the line at cell
phone and e-mails. I don’t text. I’m not even sure how to text. I honestly
don’t want anymore connection. I already feel like the electrical outlet in my
study that has two power strips attached to it. I can be engaged in a great
book, composing a sermon, crafting a lecture, and stop everything at the sound
of an e-mail coming in. My cell phone often gets more priority than face to
face conversation. Like an unwanted guest, it sneaks even into my prayer
closet.
Oh, I
almost forgot. I am trying to connect with blogging. This is my cyberspace of
choice. But I have long sense concluded it is a way for me to reflect my
reading, express what I am learning, and give it the respect of careful thought.
In other words, it is only worth the space if there is enough white space left in
my life.