The other day I was reading Books & Culture when I came across an advertisement for Keven Vanhoozer’s Everyday Theology. The ad contained a blurb from Richard Mouw, President of Fuller Theological Seminary which reads:

I am one of those Christians who have theologocial questions about Eminem, Myspace, grocery stores and the like. So I am very pleased that we now have this book of stimulating and important reflections on such matters. These authors demonstrate how to think theologically about popular culture.

I have not yet read the book, but the blurg has set me to thinking about the theological implications of sites like Myspace and Facebook. These sites have skyrocketed in popularity over the past couple of years, yet I have heard little theological reflection on the popularity of these sites. These sites and others build on the of “social networking,” connecting people based on similar interests, whether it be music, movies, sports, hobbies or a variety of other interests. The more I think about sites like these, there seems to be something deeply theological happening.

We know from Genesis 2:18 that God has declared that it is not good for man to be alone. Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 provides insight from a practical perspective:

Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him–a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

1 Corinthians 12:12-27 applies these principles to the church, noting that believers ought to be marked by such unity “that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together” (1 Corinthians 12:25-27).

We have been created for relationships and community. These are truths which we all feel deeply and know instinctively and we continually pursue avenues for community, whether it be street gangs, bowling leagues, congregations or social networking websites. We always pursue community. The incredible popularity of such sites is simply evidence of a deeper sociological and theological need.

I sometimes wonder, if churches were more successful at creating and incorporating this sense of community, would such sites ever have become so popular? We look for things online in “cyberspace” that we can’t in reality. As we noted yesterday, throngs of peole are leaving churches for various reasons. One of the reasons is that people often feel just as disconnected inside the church as outside.

In many regards, many churches have failed at meeting this essential human need. The one place in which should feel the most welcome is often the one place we feel the most isolated. The popularity of these “social networking” sites serves as a reminder of one of the most fundamental aspects of Christianity, the breaking down of borders and barriers to reestablish community. Perhaps now we can do better at providing community in reality than these sites do on the internet.

• Read Everyday Theology: How to Read Cultural Texts & Interpret Trends (Cultural Exegesis), edited by Kevin Vanhoozer
• Read Redeeming Popular Culture by T.M. Moore
• Read Eyes Wide Open: Looking For God in Popular Culture by William Romanowski