[image by Capture Queen]
I have been thinking a lot…a lot about Anne Jackson’s recent decision, Saying Goodbye to Facebook. And then yesterday she followed it up with an article at Purpose Driven, Why I Kissed Facebook Goodbye. Something that Anne said in the article really stuck out to me:
The ultimate question, for the social media world as for every other world, is this: Is how I’m spending my time bringing glory to God? When the online world becomes our only source of communication or inspiration, it may be time to take a little breather and log off.
What stuck with me is this. That since I have been more and more involved online, I feel that my ability to rest, sit in silence, listen, journal, and reap inspiration from the writers that fueled me for so long (the Bible, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Henri Nouwen, Annie Dillard, Eugene Peterson, Fyodor Dostoyevsky, etc.), has greatly dwindled. And ultimately, I think that has led to less creativity from me.
Maybe what many of us are wondering is how we protect the creativity and inner fire…that which gives us life and helps us contribute to the communities around us.
I have long been an advocate of new media, emerging technology, especially among ministry people. Four and half years ago I was telling pastors and churches that they needed to have an online presence and be blogging. My home church thought I was a bit crazy. Last year I wrote a chapter in a book on the importance of Facebook (new media) for engaging youth ministry. And last month my article for why pastors should Twitter appeared in Collide Magazine.
So what I’m trying to tell you is that I’m highly invested in this online world, so I’m thinking through it very carefully.
I’ve been re-reading for the 3rd time Henri Nouwen’s book, The Way of the Heart: Connecting with God Through Prayer, Wisdom, and Silence. And he says something that I think is very important for all of us. And I’m going to quote at length here because it’s that important:
A SECOND, MORE positive, meaning of silence is that it protects the inner fire. Silence guards the inner heat of religious emotions. This inner heat is the life of the Holy Spirit within us. Thus, silence is the discipline by which the inner fire of God is tended and kept alive.
Diadochus of Photiki offers us a very concrete image: ‘When the door of the steambath is continually left open, the heat inside rapidly escapes through it; likewise the soul, in its desire to say many things, dissipates its rememberance of God through the door of speech, even though everything it says may be good. Thereafter the intellect, though lacking appropriate ideas, pours out a welter of confused thoughts to anyone it meets, as it no longer has the Holy Spirit to keep its understanding free from fantasy. Ideas of value always shun verbosity, being foreign to confusion and fantasy. Timely silence, then, is precious, for it is nothing less than the mother of the wisest thoughts.’
These words of Diadochus go against the grain of our contemporary lifestlyle, in which ‘sharing’ has become one of the greatest virtues. We have been made to believe that feelings, emotions, and even the inner stirrings of our soul have to be shared with others. Expressions such as ‘Thanks for sharing this with me,’ or ‘It was good to share this with you,’ show that the door of our steambath is open most of the time. In fact, people who prefer to keep to themselves and do not expose their interior life tend to create uneasiness and are often considered inhibited, asocial, or simply odd. But let us at least raise the question of whether our lavish ways of sharing are not more compulsive than virtuous; that instead of creating community they tend to flatten out our life together. Often we come home from a sharing session with a feeling that something precious has been taken away from us or that holy ground has been trodden upon. (pp. 45-46)
More than anything, the stirring of the Spirit as I have been reading scripture, and Nouwen’s words, have given me reason to stop and reflect about what the shape of my future online presence looks like.
i have been dropping more money on nouwen than i have website hosting in the last month
I have like every book or thought of his that has been published. I just continue to re-read them. Great stuff…he is a huge influence.
I always considered myself an extrovert … but i’m beginning to realize how much i need my space. I think there’s tremendous pressure to lifestream these days (especially for web pastors!) but i worry that i don’t always have enough “gas in the tank” to come up with thoughtful, poignant, worthwhile comments that are worth reading … i think the overflow is the Biblical concept here. no doubt there are many who overflow into social media, but you’ve got to know when to pull back, restore, refresh and then pour out again. because the time you spend sharing miscellaneous trivialities, could be the time you need to spend with God …
Love the idea and thoughts here. I do want to give a shout out on the “sharing” side.
I find such definition and clarity in community however. I have felt an increase in my definition as a person via networking and sharing more.
I agree completely with the need for solidarity in our lives to provide the Holy Spirit room and time to germinate and work in our hearts but it is in my engaging others that I have discovered the true value of what I have within.
Love this verse (Phil. 1.6)
[And I pray] that the participation in and “sharing” of your faith may produce and promote full recognition and appreciation and understanding and precise knowledge of every good [thing] that is ours in [our identification with] Christ Jesus [and unto His glory].
I am in no way arguing against silence but just giving a shout out to “sharing” and the pros behind our connection and networking. I think watching the nature of our networking and the keeping our times of solidarity in check we can optimize our “fire.”
I’ll be curious to see where you land with this. I’ve been wondering some of the same things.
I went to bed thinking about this post, woke up and it was on my mind and it just came to mind again.
After reading your blog, I went into a time of introspection and realized that I have finished only one book this year. I am in the midst of multiple books and looking at my own collection of 600+ books, I could only pull out a few that I have read fully.
When I lived in Michigan, I used to go to Starbucks after work to get away from the computer and read for a couple of hours or meet with some people to have community. Now that I live in California, the expenditure of going to Starbucks more than once a day can jostle your checking account. So I go home, get back on the computer and watch tv. The only time I do read is on the weekends when I intentionally make time to do so.
Laying in bed last night, I realized what little contact I had had even in prayer. I guess you don’t realize how distant you were in that area until you are in a place of silence.
Maybe at the Christian Web Conference we could all talk about fasting from social media or at least putting boundaries on our time regarding it. Where is the balance? What is the difference between blogging as a job and blogging as a hobby? How aware are we of our spouses position on our online activities? Could there be stronger accountability between your own personal network of bloggers?
If social media isn’t drawing you closer to the heart of Jesus, then is it really God leading you or yourself?
Good post Rhett. =)
Ben,
Great questions…I don't know. I'm still trying to figure this out. Hopefully we can all contribute some stuff at CWC that is valuable for everyone. I too have realized how my prayer life was very small…and that it needed to change. Now that I have been spending more intentional time in prayer, I feel more connected. I have to really work at it though.
I read your post hours ago and I find myself still thining through this topic. Sometimes I wonder if the social media in my life keeps me busy thinking about myself and wanting to share more than anything. Thanks for your thoughts and insight.
Rhett,
Nice post. I have decided that there is no way I’ll get through Francis Schaeffer’s “Complete Works” if I continue to waste my life online!
Nick,
Love that phrase, "gas in the tank." That's exactly how I feel sometimes. The rhythm of pull back, restore, refresh and pour out is a great visual.
Nathan…I do like sharing also and agree with you. I love your comments. And great voice. It is a delicate balance…beautiful dance that one has to strive at getting better at I suppose.
me too,
I love sharing…just trying to find a balance though. Know what I mean?
Haaa…Wade, that is for sure. Good luck with that. Actually, I don't know how much he has written. I want to complete Barth's Church Dogmatics, but that probably won't happen.