Over the last few days I have read two great books by Jay Y. Kim. They were Analog Church: Why We Need Real People, Places, and Things in the Digital Age and Analog Christian: Cultivating Contentment, Resilience, and Wisdom in the Digital Age. A short summary of both is that “Church” and “Christianity” are inherently analog, and need to be lived person to person, and face to face. Digital/Online/Video/Podcast are all good tools, but we can’t get away from the fact that we are called to be a community. We are called to witness and support each other in our growth in our faith. You should get them in paperback (real analog) and give them a read.
As someone who works for a church, and loves technology, I found Kim’s message to be both timely and challenging. I am in 100% agreement with his evaluation. There were times when I found myself telling him (by talking to his book) that he should just become Catholic, and it would solve some of his problems. Yet I had to reevaluate some of my goals and ask am I using technology because it is helpful, or because I want to be trendy or cool? (And yes, talking to your book is a little crazy)
How do I slow down what I am doing, to make sure what I am doing is BETTER for the people I want to serve? It is not about getting more eyes on my content, or more clicks and likes, but changing peoples lives. We need to use the appropriate technology to help people. Especially if they can’t join us face to face, or need extra support, but I keep asking myself how to BE THERE for people.
