The Church of Facebook

For over 10 years I have personally sought to harness the popularity of social networking sites as a means of connecting with people I've met in the various places and during different seasons of life, and as a way to partner with God in His work of new creation. This past weekend I traveled to New York and very much enjoyed reading The Church of Facebook by Jesse Rice during my flights. The book explores how the hyperconnected are redefining community.

Rice explores several inventions throughout history - how they produced unpredictable outcomes which forced people to reinvent, redefine, and reshape how they interacted with the world around them. Social networking is doing just such a thing in today's world. He looks at the physical and psychological implications of hyperconnectivity, boundaries, responsibility, the nature of genuine community, and whether and how Christians should engage social media as a redemptive tool.

The book is very thoughtfully written and provocative. I would highly recommend it to anyone and everyone who is interested in better understanding the context in which we live, and who cares about joining with God in His redemptive work in the world.