Das Internet und die sozialen Netzwerke haben unser Leben in den letzten Jahren teilweise stark verändert. Die Gemeinde bleibt dabei, ob sie will oder nicht, nicht unbeeinflusst. Manche Veränderungen, die ich hier gefunden habe, können dabei dem Evangelium hinderlich werden:
1. Short attention span/limited learning style.
For folks who can absorb information at the rate of a short text message or “tweet,” it’s difficult to imagine them sitting through a 35 minute sermon and being able to engage in a sustained manner.
2. Low view of authority/over-focus on equality.
One of the most oft-overlooked impact of social media is the effect it has on the way we view authority figures. The Internet is the great equalizer—everyone has a voice.
3. “Surfacey” interactions/artificial relationships.
People might feel more connected, but they can really be more distant, at least from who they really are. In contrast, true Christian fellowship requires that we engage with people as we really are, so that we can honestly face our sin and grow together in Christ.
4. Lack of Physical Presence.
People readily admit they would rather leave a voicemail or send an email than talk face-to-face…. The new technologies allow us to ‘dial down’ human contact, to titrate its nature and extent
5. Low Commitment/Accountability.
We control—and entirely control—the duration, intensity, and level of contact. At any moment, we can simply stop. But the Christian life and real Christian relationships don’t work like this.
Diese Auswirkungen sind leider (auch bei uns?) nicht zu übersehen. Hilfreich finde ich dann jedoch auch die abschließende Einschätzung:
So, where do we go from here? Do we abandon the technology of our modern world, move to the countryside and adopt an Amish-style existence? Not at all. The point of this post has not been to condemn modern communication technology (I am using it this very moment!). Rather, the point has been that we must be aware of the challenges that it creates for ministry in our modern and postmodern world. The technology does not necessarily create sin patterns, but exacerbates the sin patterns that are already present within our hearts, and the hearts of our congregations. In response, we need to do something that we needed to do anyway: give our people a robust and vibrant picture of what the church is and their place in it. In other words, we need to give them a full-orbed, biblical ecclesiology.