paulmoreland.com

There’s a “social networking” website called “Facebook“. I was a bit leery of such places for a while. The whole “My Space” and such whoopla left me cold. And then I started paying more attention and saw that there’s actually some value to these places. So I set up an account. And then started finding friends, and friends started finding me. The whole thing is interesting, because it shows how we all have rings of influence in our lives. It’s interesting to take a look at friend lists on other people’s profiles. It’s amazing how many of us know the same people – and yet each of us knows oodles of folks the others do not know.

On my own profile, at the time of this writing, 487 people are listed on my “Friends” page.  In that number are relatives, other MK’s, school mates, folks I’ve worked with, people we’ve ministered to, people my wife works with, kids we’ve known since they were wee children and folks I’ve met through other folks on Facebook.  It is interesting to see how certain items appear on successive people’s pages.  Most folks on my list seem to have very similar ideas and tastes.  There’s a few who are radically different in one way or another but for the most part “birds of a feather”.

Humor, games, inspirational videos, music, prayer requests – all these and more are piped right onto my computer screen each time I connect.  It’s been a blessing to catch up with old friends from college and even a “lost” cousin or three I’ve not seen in 30 years or more – all thanks to this social networking phenomenon.

The big question is – will it be a tool or a master?  Will it rule one’s life or will one use it for good?  Who do we glorify through this medium?  Are we working for a better world – or sinking to the same level as those around us?  It is my hope and ambition that this will be one more tool through which I can bring glory to Christ’s kingdom.