Two Thumbs
The silence in the car was interrupted by two thumbs. My mind was still full of the reverberation of conversations from the day, so I didn’t care to listen to the additional noise of the radio. I wanted just to escape into the bubble of solitude in the car as I drove to my destination. It was a five minute drive but sometimes a few moments absent of noise can be refreshing.
My passengers were creating the “dtih dtih dtih” that happens when two thumbs are tapping on a phone keypad. It was surprisingly loud considering that was the only sound in the car. Instead of solitude I was surrounded by the rhythmic white noise of texting. They must have been texting a dissertation.
Isn’t it amazing how quickly we share our thoughts, prayers or concerns to hundreds of people at a time through a phone or computer?
Think about this. The top trends of the “texting/social network community” centers around two age old terms – community and words. People desire to be connected. Words are the way we engage in that connection.
This power of word and community can be seen in the top trends of Facebook. Justin Bieber fans could get the latest news out in seconds. The concerts, pics and enthusiasm were undeniable. The online community also united together to get donations and word out to those impacted by the disastrous Haitian earthquake. Also, the Chilean miners were rescued and cheered by a supportive community of online comrades. This power of community and words through social media is enormously powerful.
Tragically, on the other spectrum, community words can also destroy. The stories of online bullying lead some to desperation and death. Again, this reinforces the power of words.
Anyone can be hurt or encouraged by words. The social network has made it possible to use the power of community and language even when not physically present, with hundreds of people looking in on the conversation.
The trend for Christian people should be to utilize this connection through the dazzling speed of the internet to get Jesus‘ message of hope out as efficiently, quickly and effectively as we can.
Our challenge today as Christians is not to merely get involved in the small talk of the online communities, but speak of hope, love in Jesus name to those in need. Remember, thousands of people will read what you’re saying. Make sure they hear of Jesus.