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FAITH & TECHNOLOGY

By Lara Tovmassian Leave a Comment

Photo Credit: Michael Verhoef @ Flickr (CC)

Photo Credit: Michael Verhoef @ Flickr (CC)

I wake up to my phone alarm every morning.  Cuisinart makes my coffee. Toyota drives me to work. Facebook counts my friends and AT&T raises the bar on my friendships. Apple pushes me through my workout and takes down my notes in class. Finally, when my work is finished and the next day’s outfit has been laid out on my dresser, I edit through the events of my day and flip the light switch to call it a night.

Modern technology makes life incredibly convenient. When we take the time to consider how many of our daily habits depend on industry and electronics, we will greatly appreciate them. Many tasks that we now find to be crucial have been made possible through technology.

The technological resources that have been made available to us in the twenty-first century have had a significant impact on societal development. Industries and corporations have become increasingly aware of our wants and needs and have worked hard to accommodate for them. The fact that we have advanced technology at our finger tips allows society to continue expanding.

In recent decades, there has been widespread debate regarding our generation’s dependency on modern technology. Successfully arguing that technology itself is harmful to our generation would be extremely difficult, as technology has undeniably had its benefits. Where would we be without computers, cell phones, and vehicles? These tools have certainly made life easier in many ways and allowed our society to advance. Even the connectedness that we gain through social mediums such as Facebook, Skype, and Twitter can be a positive effect of technology; through this, we are easily enabled to maintain or develop relationships in places where we otherwise would not. Whether social media is being used to keep in touch with a long distance friend or to become familiar with people of unfamiliar backgrounds, individuals can most certainly benefit from the relational conveniences for which technology allows.

In a culture where unnecessary gadgets and the newest household appliances inevitably rise to the top of the upper-middle class shopping list, many of us find ourselves accruing possessions for the mere sake of it.

After acknowledging the benefits of modern technology, we must equally acknowledge and explore the concerns that arise out of our dependency on it. The main problem becomes that this dependency can both distort our priorities and lessen the quality of our relationships. It does these things by nurturing a mentality of excess and by masking our need for interpersonal relationships.

Living in the convenience of modern technology nurtures a mentality of excess. In a culture where unnecessary gadgets and the newest household appliances rise to the top of the upper-middle class shopping list, many of us accrue possessions for the mere sake of it. We have more than we need but we must have more. This mentality is often subconscious, sneaking into our minds when we are making even the smallest of decisions. Do I really need that electronic wine bottle opener? What about the $8 strawberry stem remover? Depending on how much of an impulsive buyer I am, I may or may not be tempted by such purchases. Regardless, the question of whether or not these items are necessities is painfully apparent—that is, when we are not wandering around Brookstone or Williams-Sonoma.

In his first letter to Timothy, Paul speaks to the idea of moderation in wealth. He writes “As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life” (1 Timothy 6:17-19). Here, Paul reminds Timothy to maintain an eternal perspective in regard to wealth by remembering to store our treasures in heaven. At times, technology can complicate this calling by offering us luxurious conveniences such as fancy cars or the latest Apple product. Making use of technology is healthy; technological developments have occurred and ignoring these advancements would be foolish. Even so, problems arise when this mentality of excess prevails over our calling as believers to be generous and live moderately.

The diminishing quality of interpersonal relationships is another concern that arises out of modern technology. Varied social mediums that have been popularized in the past decade allow us to develop and maintain relationships with people without being physically present with them. The rise of these mediums has enabled closeness between people who are physically distant and distance between people who are physically close. While these mediums can be a wonderful convenience for long-distance relationships and friendships, they can also lessen the quality of immediately present relationships by assuming less of a need for them. Online relationships require less effort, but they also allow people to create unrealistic but appealing personas for themselves. Over the past several decades, we have experienced the shift from phone calls to text messages, dinner dates to Skype dates, photo albums to Instagram. Hebrews 10:24-25 says “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” It’s possible that we have watched the intimacy of physical presence be undermined by these varied social mediums. Reclaiming this intimacy would necessitate an increase in the time and effort that we invest in relationships. By moderating our use of social media, we can create a balance between meaningfully maintaining distant relationships and actively investing in the people with whom are immediately present.

Social media and modern technology have helped me remain connected with loved ones and continue nurturing precious relationships in my life. Many of my closest friends live far away from me, and without cell phones and the Internet, it would be exponentially more difficult to remain invested in each other’s lives. Even so, these mediums are not enough to maintain meaningful relationships. By making an effort to visit a friend who is far away, we express appreciation for the person and allow the relationship to grow stronger. There are also moments in which these tools can cause distractions from things like academics or from people who are physically present in one’s life. Technological advances will always create opportunities for distraction. Distraction from work, from family and friends, and even from the priorities that we hold to as believers. In light of this, our mission must be to learn how to balance a healthy use of modern convenience with a commitment to the fellowship, selflessness and generosity of Christ that we are called to reflect.

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Filed Under: Community, Connect Tagged With: Issue 19

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Happy Spring! Enjoy the new issue! #linkinbio Happy Spring! Enjoy the new issue! #linkinbio
Our striving to be like Jesus or do his work on ou Our striving to be like Jesus or do his work on our own is in vain. We can never hope to achieve the same level that Jesus was on while we are still here on Earth. We’re like little kids, struggling just to walk. But that’s why Jesus gave us an example of redeemed followers in the form of the Apostles, who were his close group of students here on Earth. He chose a group of broken, sinful men, and ultimately shaped them into the group responsible for continuing his ministry here on Earth. ⁠
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✍🏽: Tim VanDeWalker in "Running By Example" | Continue reading at newidentitymagazine.com⁠ by visiting the link in our bio and tapping on the image.⁠
"Do your little bit of good where you are; it's th "Do your little bit of good where you are; it's those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world." –Desmond Tutu
The Bible tells us to live in the world, but not t The Bible tells us to live in the world, but not to become like it. The New Living Translation puts it this way, “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think” (Rom. 12:2a). Some have interpreted this as an instruction to reject anything that isn’t explicitly Christian. But I don’t think that’s what this verse is getting at. I think it means much more.⁠
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✍🏽: Lindsey Beharry in "Choosing Wisely" | Continue reading at newidentitymagazine.com⁠ by visiting the link in our bio and tapping on the image.⁠
If you desire to serve, seek to form groups withou If you desire to serve, seek to form groups without age distinction. Maybe you want to form a group in your church. Avoid just inviting members from your age group. Seek out people older and younger than you to invite to meet together. Find that person who sits alone and talk to her or him. Instead of a focus on building groups that have the same characteristics to “relate” with one another, you center your discussion in the work of Christ. He will bring the group together. ⁠
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✍🏽: Russell Almand in "Community and Age Diversity" | Continue reading at newidentitymagazine.com⁠ by visiting the link in our bio and tapping on the image.⁠
"If we put our faith in temporal things, they will "If we put our faith in temporal things, they will inevitably let us down. They were never meant to be enough for us. Not alone. When Barnum finally does hit bottom, he recognizes that his heart has been led astray, fooled into thinking that fame or fortune could satisfy him."⁠
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✍🏽: @slimkeman in "The Greatest Showman" | Continue reading at newidentitymagazine.com⁠ by visiting the link in our bio and tapping on the image.⁠
"Porn. We are only now beginning to realize the ex "Porn. We are only now beginning to realize the extent of its effects on the brain, relationships, and society at a time when sexually explicit content is just a click away. Christians have recognized pornography’s negative impact for decades, yet it is still often considered a “male” problem within the Church. This can leave women who struggle with porn addiction feeling isolated and alone. The organization SheRecovery (formerly Dirty Girls Ministries) aims to change that and has become a resource for women with porn addiction. You can read more about their ministry at the link in our bio. ⁠
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✍🏽: Lisa Gagnon in "Dirty Girls Ministries" | Continue reading at newidentitymagazine.com⁠ by visiting the link in our bio and tapping on the image.⁠
"The presence of my sin reminds me of my great nee "The presence of my sin reminds me of my great need for grace, and good works are the outpouring of a grateful heart; being a good child is not a means of earning the favor of God."⁠
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✍🏽: Sally Blotzer in "Forgiving Failure" | Continue reading at newidentitymagazine.com⁠ by visiting the link in our bio and tapping on the image.⁠
"As Christians, we identify ourselves not only by "As Christians, we identify ourselves not only by how we handle our daily lives, much like those around us, but also by an added component: our faith. How we pray and worship and spend time with our fellow followers provides additional meaning to our lives."⁠
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✍🏽: Matthew Hamilton in "Does Your Form Determine Your Function?" | Continue reading at newidentitymagazine.com⁠ by visiting the link in our bio and tapping on the image.⁠
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Often I picture Jesus telling us to love others an Often I picture Jesus telling us to love others and not to judge. I forget that when he said, “Come follow me,” he wasn’t just inviting us to a strict set of rules but to a real and exciting life whether you turn out to be a pastor, a doctor, designer or simply “Dad.” Sometimes I forget one of his main messages was that he came to give us a better life than we could ever dream of—life to the fullest. Jesus wasn’t locking us down to a vocation or job title. It’s as if he was saying, “Real, vibrant life is available to you now. Following me, loving me and living like me is your real calling…the rest is just there to aid you in following, loving and living.”⁠
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✍🏽: Wendy Van Eyck in "Living For A Purpose" | Continue reading at newidentitymagazine.com⁠ by visiting the link in our bio and tapping on the image.⁠
Like Morpheus, I want to “show you how deep the Like Morpheus, I want to “show you how deep the rabbit hole goes.” There is yet another parallel between the Christian story and The Matrix, simultaneously the most foundational and the most captivating. It’s that something which is missing, something which is not quite right with the world. You can’t quite put your finger on it, but you know that it’s there. At the outset of the first film, Neo is searching for it. Trinity asserts that “it’s the question that drives us.” Morpheus claims that “you can see it when you look out your window or when you turn on your television. You can feel it when you go to work, when you go to church, when you pay your taxes.” The question is: What if I’ve only ever scratched the surface of all that life has to offer? What if there is a deeper, truer current of reality, ever-present behind all of my life’s experiences, to which I might awaken at any moment?⁠
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✍🏽: @slimkeman in "Tumbling Down The Rabbit Hole" | Continue reading at newidentitymagazine.com⁠ by visiting the link in our bio and tapping on the image.⁠
"I’ve always been intrigued by Augustine because "I’ve always been intrigued by Augustine because we all struggle with temptations to sin. And we all struggle to live in a way that honors God. Like Augustine we all feel the tug of our past sins that say, 'Don’t you want to enjoy us?' And Augustine’s story relates to Galatians 5:16-26 where Paul tells us about how the Christian life is like a walk. In a way, walking is a metaphor for the Christian life." ⁠
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✍🏽: @the_christopherscott in "In Step With the Spirit" | Continue reading at newidentitymagazine.com⁠ by visiting the link in our bio and tapping on the image.⁠
"The Holy Spirit empowers us for Christ-like livin "The Holy Spirit empowers us for Christ-like living, and for serving others." Where in your life or in what ways has the Spirit enabled you this week? We'd love to hear, tell us in the comments below!⁠
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✍🏽: @the_christopherscott  in "In Step With the Spirit" | Continue reading at newidentitymagazine.com⁠ by visiting the link in our bio and tapping on the image.⁠
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