tuesday reflection for week 10

When I hear the word "postmodern," my mind always associates it with "better than modern." "If postmodern is better than modern," my mind says to itself, "then there must be nothing wrong with postmodern." Of course, I realize this a naive statement, but until recently I did not recognize that I was saying this to myself.

Modernity gave rise to many technological advances, and in the postmodern era, people have further developed many of these advances. For example, the information structures in the postmodern culture. These structures include, in general, the internet, instant communication, mp3 players, etc. Specifically, these structures include Facebook, MySpace, any blogging company, email, cell phones, iPods, iTunes, etc. Most of these things are great, but in this "information economy" the social structures in our cultures have been replaced by information structures.

Consequently, disembedding, a modern characteristic in which the social relations are lifted from their contexts, is perpetuated. Face to face relationships with others are not as valuable. Talking to people on the phone is devalued because of email, text messages, and blogs. In short, life becomes more impersonal.

From a Christian perspective, the impersonality of life is terrible because the kingdom of God finds its stronghold and background in communities. More specifically, these communities consist of people who are in face to face contact with one another. At least, that is how I perceive it. I love the technological advances that we have developed and appropriated into our life—hence the fact that I have two blogs, an iPod, and a cell phone...I even text message my friends (gasp!)—but I often think we give too much weight to some of these things.

Aside: I might be too short sighted in my views of "community." As I think about what I wrote in this post, I wonder if kingdom of God communities could develop through blog communication. My first answer is "I don't think so." But I realize that my be too short sighted. Call me on my short sightedness if it is there.