Monday 31 January 2011

Exclusion


 http://www.ted.com/talks/nicholas_christakis_how_social_networks_predict_epidemics.html
Nicholas Christakis shows this connectivity with general health, and it struck a strong cord as a health professional whom had studied sociology.
I am finding it interesting where are social standing and networks can positively or negatively affect our relationships with each other.Our connectivity affects our health behaviours, it can also affect our spiritual health.
As a Christian you end up with a need for 'fellowship' to share your faith, but what if you cannot? 'Homophily' is the need to flock together you look for similarities, and you search them out. So what if your local church does not meet your 'homophily' requirements, suffering a sense of rejection you may search for like minded individuals on web social networks... ie second life facebook etc.
People who do not find themselves within the clusters of positivity within a church specifically seek out other models of fellowship.
Interestingly though these connections we make on the internet are also tainted. Christians come from different cultures, and have expectations projected onto each other of how the other should 'be'.

A specific example some Southern US Christians were horrified that my daughter sang in a Cathedral, viewing traditional worship as 'lazy and lead by satan'. They were 'defriended' on facebook. I personally have experienced other cyber-bullying by Christians who wanted to build a closed network to enforce their roles within a cyberchurch set up called the Second Life Anglican Cathedral. These are needy people needing to have a sense of importance and belonging to the exclusion of others.

This is not of the Principality of God. We are called to share love and be hospitable. We are called to focus on being like Christ not being like what we perceive we should act like a 'church'. The building and our self perceptions become the idol of our worship and that is against the First Commandment. We must blend being local with being global and not impose anything but God.
I challenge you to look at your social networks.. do you have some 'dodgy characters', and do you have those on the magins of church life? Then AMEN you are an Evangelist.

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