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Facebook: Not Just a Fad
By Ken Horn | June 3, 2008
So I joined Facebook. And the reason I joined Facebook? Well, our general superintendent, Dr. George O. Wood did it first. He’s got like a million friends now, so I figured I could use some friends, too.
Actually, I was very surprised at what Facebook is. It is definitely not just a fad for the young … although young people still are in the overwhelming majority. It is a superb networking tool for anyone. It reconnects you with people from your past, introduces you to friends of friends with interests or ministries in common … it’s just a good networking tool.
Yes, there is great potential for a lot of silliness and wasted time. But since I have been on I have caught up with old friends, learned about several prayer needs that I wouldn’t have otherwise known, and been better connected to people I value.
Many of our leaders are doing what Dr. Wood has done. College presidents, faculty, pastors, and missionaries have Facebook lists in the hundreds. Others keep their friends lists more manageable.
Facebook is available only to those online, so maybe it can teach us something that extends beyond the pixels on our computer screens. Christians need friends, and they need to be friends. There are a lot of things about the people around you that you do not know. We need to make time … more time for old friends … and time to make new friends.
If you’re on Facebook, use it to encourage someone. If you’re not on Facebook (or even if you are), go and encourage someone anyway. Take some time to learn something about someone you know little about. Pray for them.
Facebook is important for one reason: because people are important. Let your life demonstrate that you believe that.
“You are my friends if you do what I command. … This is my command: Love each other” (John 15:14,17, NIV).
“As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another” (Prov. 27:17).
(Oh, and if you’re not on but are interested, just visit Facebook.com.)
Topics: news |
