Musings Along Lifes Way: Facebook Connections
No man (person) is an island, entire of itself; every man (person) is a piece of the continent, a part of the main; if a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less...any man's (person's) death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind (humankind).
Hello Everyone,
At the heart of human life is a basic truth; we are part of one another -- our isolation is but an illusion. So John Donne writes No man (person) is an island, entire of itself. Our human lives seem to hover around our connectedness -- its affirmation or its denial. We are trying to figure out, or better, realize how we are connected. So, we communicate, ask one another questions, worry about whether people like us or not. There are newspapers, books, Rotary Clubs and churches. We write letters, now emails and instant messages. We sit down over coffee and we share our lives. Sometimes we figure that we are not connected, can't be connnected, will never be connected. Then, we make enemies and fight. All of this seems to orbit around one primary question, "How are we related?"
When Ron Buford, the first coordinator of the United Church of Christ's "God is Still Speaking" initiative visited our church last Saturday to discuss the Northern California Nevada Conference's "Rhythm of Abundance" program for spirituality, church vitality and stewardship, he took some time to meet with some of us from the Sonoma County United Churches of Christ to help us discuss our forthcoming Christmas/Advent joint advertising campaign (another way to use our connections). Our discussion lead us to to acknowledge how quickly and how thoroughly the world is changing. In terms of publicity and advertising, newspapers are on the way out and the internet is still building up steam. We are realizing our connections in new ways. This got me interested in Facebook. So, this past Monday I dove in.
Working with Facebook is like going to a party. When you are by yourself and arrive at a party you look for someone you know, someone you can make a connection with and talk to. When meeting this person you see that she has some friends that you don't know. When you start talking with these people you have never met, you find that they know people who are also unknown to you. Soon everyone is talking with everyone else and new connections are made, new friendships are forged. Well, folks have figured out how to do this online. After about 24 hours I have 35 friends AND some of those folks are new to me. That's a wonder.
So, that's it: human beings doing what humans do -- making connections, realizing something about themselves in a new medium, the internet. As connections are made some of us move deeper into currents of grace, love and compassion. Here we find the true source of all our connections -- to paraphrase Donne, "we are all part of the main, we are part of one another." Come see me and all my friends on Facebook.
Blessings,
David
Hello Everyone,
At the heart of human life is a basic truth; we are part of one another -- our isolation is but an illusion. So John Donne writes No man (person) is an island, entire of itself. Our human lives seem to hover around our connectedness -- its affirmation or its denial. We are trying to figure out, or better, realize how we are connected. So, we communicate, ask one another questions, worry about whether people like us or not. There are newspapers, books, Rotary Clubs and churches. We write letters, now emails and instant messages. We sit down over coffee and we share our lives. Sometimes we figure that we are not connected, can't be connnected, will never be connected. Then, we make enemies and fight. All of this seems to orbit around one primary question, "How are we related?"
When Ron Buford, the first coordinator of the United Church of Christ's "God is Still Speaking" initiative visited our church last Saturday to discuss the Northern California Nevada Conference's "Rhythm of Abundance" program for spirituality, church vitality and stewardship, he took some time to meet with some of us from the Sonoma County United Churches of Christ to help us discuss our forthcoming Christmas/Advent joint advertising campaign (another way to use our connections). Our discussion lead us to to acknowledge how quickly and how thoroughly the world is changing. In terms of publicity and advertising, newspapers are on the way out and the internet is still building up steam. We are realizing our connections in new ways. This got me interested in Facebook. So, this past Monday I dove in.
Working with Facebook is like going to a party. When you are by yourself and arrive at a party you look for someone you know, someone you can make a connection with and talk to. When meeting this person you see that she has some friends that you don't know. When you start talking with these people you have never met, you find that they know people who are also unknown to you. Soon everyone is talking with everyone else and new connections are made, new friendships are forged. Well, folks have figured out how to do this online. After about 24 hours I have 35 friends AND some of those folks are new to me. That's a wonder.
So, that's it: human beings doing what humans do -- making connections, realizing something about themselves in a new medium, the internet. As connections are made some of us move deeper into currents of grace, love and compassion. Here we find the true source of all our connections -- to paraphrase Donne, "we are all part of the main, we are part of one another." Come see me and all my friends on Facebook.
Blessings,
David
posted by FirstUCCSR at Tuesday, July 29, 2008
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