When there's a screen between us, it becomes easier to ignore our humanity. On one hand, we bully, shame and blame online much more readily than if we are face-to-face. On the other hand, because of this culture of online shaming, we rarely express our full selves online. Our social media selves are carefully-curated versions of ourselves we think the internet will approve of. How can we use our screens to facilitate life-giving relationships rather than hide from them?

Related Topics: Character, Friendship, Technology | More Messages from JR. Forasteros | Download Audio

From Series: "Social"

Most of us don't connect new technologies to our faith. After all, Jesus never had a Facebook profile. He didn't post on Instagram or even have a smartphone. No wonder we struggle to imagine the Bible has anything to say about this Brave New World we live in. But we can think theologically about the technology in our lives. We can learn not a new set of rules (How many episodes per day is too many when I'm binge-watching? How old should my kids be before they get smartphones?), but rather how to ask the right questions. Do our technologies help us bring about God's surprising, mustard seed kingdom here on Earth as it is in Heaven? How are our screens spiritual? Welcome to SOCIAL.

Manuscript     Discussion Guide