the gospel and technology... friend or foe?

i was asked to speak at a Hispanic youth event called congresso, which is put on by the baptist general convention of texas (BGCT), and its purpose is to inspire, encourage and educate Hispanic youth. the event is being held at the university of mary hardin baylor (UMHB) in belton, tx, april 5-7, 2007. the topic that they have asked me to speak on is "what does Myspace say about me?" when i accepted the opportunity my first thought was, "wow, that's an interesting topic"... once i started researching, i realized... it was a very relevant and needed topic. they wanted me to help students to realize that you can use social networks (such as myspace) for evangelistic/outreach purposes. here are some interesting facts that i found as i was compiling info and figuring out what i wanted to speak on:

1. there are over 150 million myspace users (the number grows by millions every week, so who knows where it is currently).

2. the 2 main groups of people who are attracted to myspace: teenagers and sexual predators
3. teenagers spend on average 2.9 hours on the internet each day (82% use instant messangers, 68% are on social networks like myspace, and 28% have online blogs).
4. myspace is the 2nd most visited site on the internet (yahoo is number one)

while praying about the direction that i wanted to take in the seminars, the biggest issue that i felt i needed to discuss was identity. it is during your teenage years that identity becomes not only a dilemma, but more importantly, a quest. i defined identity as "the stability of knowing who you are." identity is not trying to figure out who you will become, rather it is based on asking questions such as: "who am i," "where am i going" and "what do i want to be." your identity determines your ability to have successful relationships and to function within the environment that you are in. if someone does not determine their identity, more than likely they will isolate themselves. i believe that identity is what makes myspace and other social networks so appealing. it provides an opportunity to either: (a) become who you want to be (want others to perceive you as) or (b) to actually express who you are. sitting in front of a computer screen feels non-threatening and allows you to interact while still isolating yourself. the fear of rejection is minimalized and relationships can become whatever you want them to be. sadly, most teenagers (and even adults) base their identity on what they see on tv, internet, magazines, ect... instead of basing it on what the Bible tells them about themselves. so let's now look at what the Bible says about identity:
1. Galatians 2:20 - "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."

2. Jeremiah 1:5 - ""Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations."

3. Acts 17:26 - "From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live."

4. 1 Corinthians 10:31 - "So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God."

i believe that these 4 verses are a great place to start when figuring out identity. in galatians, we learn that we are crucified to ourselves and that it is Christ who lives in us. that is a very difficult idea to grasp... here is an illustration to think on: too often christians are like mirrors, they only reflect who God is. instead of being mirrors, we must become like the moon. the moon absorbs light, and only after that can it shine. as christians, we must absorb Christ (so that he is truly living in us) to base our identity on Him. the verse in Jeremiah reminds us that we were created for a specific reason and that nothing happens out of chance and circumstance. in Acts 17:26, we see that our true purpose in life is to bring glory to God. lastly, in 1 Corinthians 10:31, we must do everything to the glory of God. a few other verses to consider are: John 15:19b and Ephesians 2:10.

I believe that it is only after we have establish our personal identity (who we are in Christ) that we can truly reach others for Christ. sadly, only 2% of american christians have actually introduced someone else to Christ... if our identity is uncertain... how can we tell others about who Christ is and what he has done in our lives?

one thing that i'll ask the students to remember is that "everything we do, no matter how outstanding, is secondary to our calling to be evangelists," and that "nothing speaks louder than a life."

remember that i mentioned that there are over 150 million users on myspace? pat williams said "there is no set way of doing it, but remember, we are constantly given opportunities to witness." i believe that once christians realize that their identity is not based on the world, but on Christ who lives in them, they can truly start to impact the world by telling their story (testimony - a story about an event in your life and how it changed your life). there are millions of lost and lonely people in the world who are hurting and searching for the hope that we as believers have. many of them turn to the acceptance they feel through the isolated involvement in online social networks... if we as believers become more creative and vocal about our faith through myspace (and other social networks) what kind of impact could we have on the world.

so is technology a friend or foe to the gospel? while there are many negative aspects to technology... i believe that we must find a way to spread the love of Christ and his saving message in the online "hang-out" places of the world. it is our choice to make technology a friend of the Gospel.