One of my favorite pastimes for as long as I can remember has been games. All sorts of games: video, board, card, ball, etc. With the invention of the computer, and later on, the internet, gaming took a whole new form. Out of this came an entire subculture of people, rightly known as gamers, who spend much of their time on computers. The gamer culture has it's own jargon (words like 1337, noob, pwn. etc) and manners (for instance, typing in ALL CAPS is frowned upon). On the internet, you can be whoever you like with impunity. You can say whatever you want from behind a veil on anonymity. But here's the question, can you be a Christian online?
I have an internet persona very different than my social persona. Becoming a Christian, my social persona started to change more and more, however my internet persona remained the same. I struggle with this every time I'm playing a computer game or around a chat room. I'm writing about this now because of this intriguing article I read in Christianity Today:
I find it curious how Christians behave on the internet, often times in the most atrocious manners. Moreover, I find it interesting how I choose to behave on the internet, and what I say that I would never say out loud. In the privacy of my own room, behind an IP and username, I can express myself without inhibition. There is something about this combination that makes people think that they can keep this all a secret, as if closing a door or web browser can hide things from God.
The temptations that lie in the virtual world are wide and varied. The temptations one faces to "flame" (i.e. belittle, berate, and generally put down) someone on the internet is great at times, because you act without social impunity. Racism and sexism, mostly salient IRL (in real life), run rampant as people can express how they truly and honestly feel. Not only that, it is fun and acceptable. "You can say what you want; It's the internet, learn to take a joke" is the general sentiment. If someone flames you, you flame back. It's even a past time for some people to see how many people they can piss off (called "trolling"). People aren't people on the internet, just object for amusement. In the same way, people aren't people while driving, just obstacles. recently I've been fond of this saying, "you just can't identify a Christian by the way they drive (and the obscenities they mutter)." Lord knows I'm guilty too, but this is another post.
It's entirely bothersome how I can be one person one moment, and a different one the next. Jesus didn't live in an age where this temptation existed. But you got to ask yourself, is God also the God of the internet? The God of the Virtual?
It's seems crazy to say "I believe He is God of everything" and pretend he does not reign or exist on the Internet. I often act like He isn't there, because it's easy to pretend. Imagine if Jesus pulled up every single chat log I ever had, would he approve? Can the Holy Spirit transform my virtual life and persona as well? That depends on if I let Him.
If I were to be more like Paul, and "preach Christ" in everything I do, then the internet is no exception. The internet is a world created by men, and God is scarcely found there. I do not mean to say that we should try and "save" the Internet. It is already a fallen world because it was by the hand of man it was created. Nor do I mean to say we should be making Christian websites to "convert" people. It's hard nowadays to get things done without the internet, so while we are there, why shouldn't we conduct ourselves with all the appropriateness of one who is trying to follow Jesus?
No comments:
Post a Comment