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God Incarnate, not Internet
Are social media tools a blessing or a curse for people of faith? Should we use digital technology to commune with the divine? Does God tweet?
At the risk of sounding like a Luddite, I take a dim view of such technological "advances," and I do so for theological reasons. As a Christian, I believe that the doctrine of the incarnation - God took human form - is a central tenet. God chose to become incarnate in the person of Jesus. The Word became flesh and dwelt among us - not a text message or a "tweet."
This great mystery is evident also in the Holy Eucharist, when the elements of bread and wine become the body and blood of Christ. I've always suspected that a "high' view of the sacraments has saved many Christians from the maw of the televangelists. Those who are "memorialists" and have a "low" view of the sacraments (those who believe that the elements of Holy Communion merely remind us of the death of Jesus) are more likely to understand church as singing and a sermon - something that the televangelists pull off rather well. Those "low church" believers are more apt to tune in to the televangelists as an acceptable (if occasional) substitute for attending church.
Not so for those of us who have an understanding of the "real presence" of Jesus in the sacraments. I've yet to discover a way to consecrate or to communicate (in a sacramental sense) over electronic media. That is as it should be, in keeping with the doctrine of the incarnation.
In Saul Bellow's memorable words, "Blessed are the present."
By
Randall Balmer
|
August 11, 2009; 11:38 AM ET
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Posted by: withouthavingseen | August 15, 2009 1:31 AM
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We should not discount the written word in any form as able to evangelize. The scriptures have taken many forms over the millenniums. We are cautioned in the Bible to not be attached to ritual or public display in our worship, no matter its symbolism. As we begin to learn that prayer is a constant state of communing with God, we are freed from the fetters of mere physical attachment.
Posted by: JudyfromWA | August 14, 2009 7:16 PM
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"God took human form - is a central tenet. God chose to become incarnate in the person of Jesus. The Word became flesh and dwelt among us - not a text message or a "tweet.""
Ok, ...so... Your God is a 'word' made flesh, and you wonder why after saying that for some eighteen centuries of trying to turn flesh into 'words,' human contact falls out of the equation?
Wasn't the Internet that did that. Some people just found a machine to do it with.
Posted by: Paganplace | August 13, 2009 3:08 PM
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The-People Who Caused "YASHUA's", Pre-Mature Death are not only the "pha{gasees" but also in-ca-hoots w/the Meccan Arabian IDOL Worshiping Busness Men whom Set-up shop in JERU's Place, as "Farmers Markers" In JERUSALEM area.
Now They [Shamelessly; aka Abrahamically) call themselves "ALLAH"ites via MUHAMMAD [pbuh et al]!???
Posted by: homeland1 | August 11, 2009 10:29 PM
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Excellent post, Fr. Balmer.
A day without the Eucharist is a waste.
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JudyfromWA,
I do not think that Fr. Balmer was discounting the written word's ability to evangelize. I don't recall where in the Bible we are cautioned not to be attached to ritual or "public display in worship" (whatever that means).
"we are freed from the fetters of mere physical attachment."
Lol. No we're not. We're human beings. Human beings aren't angels. We don't "have" souls any more than we "have" bodies. We are ensouled bodies. Without either soul or body, we are dead - and certainly less than human. When we die, the two are separated, but that state is not permanent. In the end, our bodies will be raised from their graves, reunited to our souls, and gloried for eternity. That's a basic Christian teaching from day one.
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Paganplace,
I am not sure whether I misunderstand your statement, or you misstated your understanding. Lol. You wrote,
"Ok, ...so... Your God is a 'word' made flesh, and you wonder why after saying that for some eighteen centuries of trying to turn flesh into 'words,' human contact falls out of the equation?"
Who's trying to turn flesh into 'words' - whatever that means? And our Jesus is not "*a* word," a god among gods. He is THE Word - the very mind of God Himself - God's purpose and plan for the universe - He is the reason for which everything else is. He is completely united to His Father (the Great I-AM, the sole absolute in the universe), but not conflated into or to be confused with Him. And it was He that entered human history about 2000 years ago in order to live with us and die for us, so that we could rise again with Him.
It doesn't need to make sense to you. We cannot quite figure it out. Happily, our religion isn't about figuring God out as much as it is about learning to let Him love us, and letting Him teach us how to love Him back.