I haven’t read the new Time Magazine article yet, but Tod does a good job helping us think about the role of community online:

In the same article, David Brooks wonders if the internet is actually hindering what he calls “demographic diversity” even while it helps create more “geographic diversity”: “There once were millions of people in Elks Clubs and Elks Clubs were incredibly diverse. These days, with say, online dating, you can screen people who aren’t demographically like yourself.”

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What was reinforced for me…is that genuine Christian community, discipleship and cultural transformation cannot be brought about through any technical medium if the commitment to Christian community, discipleship, and transformation are not the “hardware” that is at the core of all we do.

As someone deeply committed to enhancing healthy, faithful, missional Christian communities, I need to keep thinking about both the potential and problems of this technology, with this one clear conviction: Blogging is not an answer, but a tool.