Amanda: Technology and Theology

Recently we’ve talked a lot about consumerism, capitalism and the modern church. Something I have found quite interesting to observe through my personal spiritual journey is the way the church is finding its place in the information age. Sermons are now downloadable, bible verses can be googled, and youth pastors have facebook. Along with this, we’ve also seen a rise in mega churches which seem to all be equipped with edgy worship bands and a jumbo screen to display hip computer graphics and lyrics to songs.

All of these things seemed to really increase in popularity just as my young mind became attracted to all that Christianity had to offer, so I thought the two went hand in hand. You could have found my 9th grade version of Christian faith revolving around owning Third day cds, Donald miller books, and attendance at any church that seemed cool enough to make its members raise their hands and dance in the aisles. I had to have my hands on anything that incorporated the words: Jesus, revolution, progressive, and faith in the title.

Only until I matured a little bit did I realize that I was just doing every possible thing I could to make myself appear to be a Christian, instead of actually creating this ‘personal relationship’ I was hearing so much about. One of the greatest things about technology is also its biggest danger. More and more people are getting access to these means of spreading information, and we are left with the tempting choice to completely stop thinking for ourselves. We have to option to sit back and simply absorb these mp3’s, youtube videos, and blogs floating around the internet and regurgitate their ideas anytime our own beliefs are challenged.

Now that time has passed, and I have been able to take a step back from what all these people were telling me to do and think for myself about who I really want to be in life. Only after I unplugged my headphones and removed my transfixed glance from a computer screen and actually read the bible for myself was I able to make sense of all of these things. Now I am able to more clearly decide what I believe to be true, and wean out the information I do not find to be honest. Now I feel that I am able to turn to books, music and movies for encouragement, but not for giving me a purpose.

As one of my favorite Christian authors puts it, “God has spoken, the rest is just commentary, right?”