The Hubris of Internet Postings (Including this One)

So I was frustrated at responses to my recent Facebook posting. They were self-centered and over-confident, or at least they drew more attention to their authors than to the subject at hand, or any rational critique of it. I thought, "Why do these people think they can so quickly take over my brilliant posting, making it their own opportunity to shine, to show how clearly they understand properly what I only thought was a noble enterprise." (In this case, it was reading a classic book.)

But then I realized that their own attempts merely mirrored mine, which was in itself a kind of cute attempt to bragg about my skillful choice of provocative reading material on a national holiday weekend. Alas, I too wanted to mark my space, make my claim, place my flag of power and worth before the amorphous and explosive world of the internet. (And now I am doing it again.)

The internet is a remarkable and troubling medium. It allows complete strangers, distant acquaintances, and close family or friends to post things -- pictures, writings, links, games -- that "connect" and "communicate" and, often, "confuse." The internet allows for "community" and convenient contact.

Or does it? I'm beginning to think that for all its benefits, the internet provides a kind of false comfort that we are actually flourishing as a human community, that we are growing intellectually, emotionally, and spiritually as we post our lines and poke our friends. We come to believe that we are happier and perhaps more entertained or more enriched through it all. Perhaps we deceive ourselves. Maybe we are only using the protection of the screen as a way to pump up our own self-centeredness, our own pride, our own sense of worth. Maybe not.

Christians are compelled to take seriously the central teaching of the faith: God became flesh and dwelt among us. The Lord of the universe took on human identity to model what being human means. God did not send a text message, a Facebook post, or a blogger essay. God essentially said "It's not enough to talk at each other, or about each other. If we want to maintain humanity, it's crucial that we actually touch and see, smell and hear each other." For when we don't, we make easier the move to hubris and power, rather than humility and love.

Yes, it's full of inconsistencies, including the use of this blog to speak against blogging.

Hmmm.