At least Mark Driscoll thinks we should.
I have a friend who has a remarkable aversion to technology. He is like a brother to me, and he really is a great guy, but I cannot believe how someone the same age as me can be so inept when it comes to computers and cell phones and all kinds of technology. Like me, he has automotive interests, but his lack of technological savvy keeps him rooted in the belief that carburetors are the only proper method of fuel delivery for an engine. When I lived with him for a few months, I spent two hours watching him try and hook up a DVD player. And I really do not have to worry about him reading this because I am not sure he knows how to get on to the internet.
As he is studying for the ministry, I have on numerous occasions tried to persuade him to do what he can to learn about technology and make use of its resourcefulness. I told him that since it plays such a major role in our culture, he should at least be familiar with it. Just recently, I listened to a
talk Mark Driscoll gave in the UK last month on what he thinks are some of the crucial elements of being a missional church. Among other things, he also made the case for involvement in and familiarity with popular culture and technology.
I think he makes a good point. What are significant parts of the lives of people in our culture, especially teenagers and people in their twenties? Television and movies. Magazines. Music. The social networking stuff--
Facebook,
Twitter,
MySpace. These mediums play such a significant role in the lives of people in our society, Driscoll argues, that we need to know what is filtering into their minds and influencing how they think and live. He actually advocates purchasing a
TiVo, spending time on the Internet (especially Web 2.0 related things, where so many people reveal a great deal about themselves), and listening to morning talk shows on your drive to work. Interestingly, this is almost the complete opposite position of
John Muether, whose
tactics for resisting modernity I mentioned a few weeks ago here. Muether's argument was that many of these choices are uncritical concessions to modern culture which we need to resist and challenge.
What do you think? Should we all go out and see
The Dark Knight? Should we read
GQ and
People? Do we need a Facebook profile or a blog? Driscoll makes the case that we should. Do you agree?
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