Reclaiming the World Wide Web
Reclaiming the World Wide Web
The World Wide Web, the Internet, cyberspace.
Call it whatever you’d like, but the reality is that every life on this planet has been changed dramatically by this phenomenon in the last 30 years. Many of us can easily remember a day when there was no global system of interconnected computer networks at our fingertips.
Kids born today (or 15 years ago) won’t be able to fathom how life could go on without it.
Clearly the Internet is used for some wonderful purposes that allow us to do things that could never be done with out it.
However, I have read various articles about how Cyberculture, the term for the culture that has emerged surrounding the internet, is affecting our communities and lives in devastating ways.
Cyberbullying has become commonplace in todays high schools and junior high schools. The use of the Internet for pornography has been growing since it first became an option and today young kids 11 & 12 year olds are contributing to the child porn epidemic by posting photos and videos themselves.
The Internet is used to degrade people because of their race, gender, sexual orientation, culture and economic status.
The World Wide Web is used daily to steal the identity of persons – their bank account, social security number, credit score and more.
Cyberspace is a place where people constantly lose themselves – not only for an hour or two each day, but their identity is interwoven with the pseudo-reality that is portrayed on their social media.
A few weeks ago “Captives Free” a missional community from my church was researching to shut down a Minneapolis brothel. They found a sort of “Angie’s List” type site sharing ratings on the women enslaved inside.
In many ways, this is going to be the reality of the Internet. It will be used for what is wrong, hurtful and devastating.
But it can be continuously reclaimed for what is good, just and right!
It is time for each of us to reclaim the World Wide Web!
Jesus said He came to make all things new. God can lead us to reclaim what has been used for so much pain.
This will look different for each of us.
For my friends Ally and Darrell it looks like telling honest stories about who God is and our journeys towards God.
For my friends Zach and Hope it looks like raising awareness and funds for their upcoming adoption.
For my friend Jana it’s to share the connection between her passion for running with her passion to end human trafficking.
The list could go on.
For me – it’s things like staying positive on social networks and telling stories of God moving around me online.
And today… one of those stories needs the support of the World Wide Web.
Many of you have read the story of the Sheridan School, the building where my church worships every Sunday. I have previously shared the story of the struggle that so many of the kids have in order to simply get their basic needs met each day. (read the story HERE)
Kids at Sheridan School were hoarding food on Fridays so they wouldn’t be hungry over the weekend. These are elementary school kids! God led us to respond to this injustice and we now send home a bag of food with every child who needs it. This year there are over 300 kids in need.
The people of Mill City Church will do everything they can to sponsor as many of these kids as we can. However, I am confident that the Internet can be used to make sure no child goes hungry!
Who is with me? Join us by giving just $12 a month to feed a child and their family every weekend.
Or perhaps you can give even more!
Since The Sheridan Story began three years ago the school has seen a dramatic decrease in hungry kids on Monday mornings and an increase in attention span and focus.
Join me today in reclaiming the web and sponsor a child at Sheridan School!
Those of you in California, Georgia, Maine and everywhere in-between can come together to feed hungry kids in Minneapolis! (My friend from Canada joined us yesterday!)
That’s reclaiming the Internet for the Kingdom of God!
Challenge: I bet together we could feed at least a classroom! Or more!
Sponsor a child here: FIGHT CHILD HUNGER
In the dedication section write: “reclaim the web”
Reclaiming the World Wide Web
The World Wide Web, the Internet, cyberspace.
Call it whatever you’d like, but the reality is that every life on this planet has been changed dramatically by this phenomenon in the last 30 years. Many of us can easily remember a day when there was no global system of interconnected computer networks at our fingertips.
Kids born today (or 15 years ago) won’t be able to fathom how life could go on without it.
Clearly the Internet is used for some wonderful purposes that allow us to do things that could never be done with out it.
However, I have read various articles about how Cyberculture, the term for the culture that has emerged surrounding the internet, is affecting our communities and lives in devastating ways.
Cyberbullying has become commonplace in todays high schools and junior high schools. The use of the Internet for pornography has been growing since it first became an option and today young kids 11 & 12 year olds are contributing to the child porn epidemic by posting photos and videos themselves.
The Internet is used to degrade people because of their race, gender, sexual orientation, culture and economic status.
The World Wide Web is used daily to steal the identity of persons – their bank account, social security number, credit score and more.
Cyberspace is a place where people constantly lose themselves – not only for an hour or two each day, but their identity is interwoven with the pseudo-reality that is portrayed on their social media.
A few weeks ago “Captives Free” a missional community from my church was researching to shut down a Minneapolis brothel. They found a sort of “Angie’s List” type site sharing ratings on the women enslaved inside.
In many ways, this is going to be the reality of the Internet. It will be used for what is wrong, hurtful and devastating.
But it can be continuously reclaimed for what is good, just and right!
It is time for each of us to reclaim the World Wide Web!
Jesus said He came to make all things new. God can lead us to reclaim what has been used for so much pain.
This will look different for each of us.
For my friends Ally and Darrell it looks like telling honest stories about who God is and our journeys towards God.
For my friends Zach and Hope it looks like raising awareness and funds for their upcoming adoption.
For my friend Jana it’s to share the connection between her passion for running with her passion to end human trafficking.
The list could go on.
For me – it’s things like staying positive on social networks and telling stories of God moving around me online.
And today… one of those stories needs the support of the World Wide Web.
Many of you have read the story of the Sheridan School, the building where my church worships every Sunday. I have previously shared the story of the struggle that so many of the kids have in order to simply get their basic needs met each day. (read the story HERE)
Kids at Sheridan School were hoarding food on Fridays so they wouldn’t be hungry over the weekend. These are elementary school kids! God led us to respond to this injustice and we now send home a bag of food with every child who needs it. This year there are over 300 kids in need.
The people of Mill City Church will do everything they can to sponsor as many of these kids as we can. However, I am confident that the Internet can be used to make sure no child goes hungry!
Who is with me? Join us by giving just $12 a month to feed a child and their family every weekend.
Or perhaps you can give even more!
Since The Sheridan Story began three years ago the school has seen a dramatic decrease in hungry kids on Monday mornings and an increase in attention span and focus.
Join me today in reclaiming the web and sponsor a child at Sheridan School!
Those of you in California, Georgia, Maine and everywhere in-between can come together to feed hungry kids in Minneapolis! (My friend from Canada joined us yesterday!)
That’s reclaiming the Internet for the Kingdom of God!
Challenge: I bet together we could feed at least a classroom! Or more!
It’s important to remember that the net is simply a tool that is amazing at amplifying messages and individuals. This is one of the reasons why social networking has caught on so strongly – it gives average people a voice. Yet, like most, the physical distance between people often causes the repercussions of actions to go unseen, but does little to affect the pleasure of such actions (like cyber bullying). To ‘Reclaim’ the web is to help individuals experience transformation. While there are many amazing corners of the internet, there are just as many dark back allies. Those of us searching and clicking need to be transformed.
At the end of the day, the redemption of a distributed network like the web will follow the work of God in the world. As the lives of those in our midst are touched and transformed so follows their behavior and more great stories get shared because more people actually care to read them. Thanks for sharing steph.
Great thoughts Paul, as always! Thanks for commenting.