Yesterday, Thursday evening, 7:30 GMT (to be exact), two churches came together in Motherwell, Scotland for a singing of Christmas carols.
While this may seem like a small thing, it quickly became a great shared experience with friends half the world away.
With a simply tweet from @headphonaught…
At least 11 others joined me in watching the Christmas celebration from afar via our computer monitors. We listened and watched live as the Bellshill Salvation Army band and chorus performed a number of great songs.
And – we were able to enjoy a beautiful solo by our dear friend Olwyn Mathie.
Here’s a quick glimpse at just how great an expanse was covered with technology (my office in red – the church in yellow).
And here are just a few of the comments during and after the service (click to enlarge):
It was an amazing shared experience that helped show just how small our globe is becoming.
We’re sharing experiences with our friends the moment they’re happing. It’s no longer receiving a letter a week after it happened, it’s finding out the news as it happens and then watching live alongside others around the globe.
And as Jonathan Brink pointed out after the passing of an online friend this week…
…as pondered the loss I became aware of something. I have never met Gideon in person. This connection of ideas, and words, and a willingness to dialog about it was entirely virtual. Our book club exchanges were all video based. And our chats were all textual. That’s it. Gideon was the textbook definition of a virtual friend. But I felt his loss as though he were someone I had met. I felt the loss the same as those who I have lost in my life. The image of God, reflected in Gideon, was now gone.
This experience made me question those who think that virtual community is not real. I seriously question that now. And the reason I do is that the means were different (personal vs. virtual) but there is still a person on the other side of the video, text, and messages.
And that still amazes me. I’ve never met Thomas (@headphonaught) or Olwyn face to face. And I’ve never met Stewart or Darrin Reeves who also tuned in. But we have a deep personal relationship with one another because there really is another person on the side of the computer screen. We’ve spent time developing these relationships and learning to be intentional in our relationships – both online and offline.
And even alongside Thomas, Olwyn, Stewart and Darrin, a dear friend, Sabrina, joined in from her computer here in the Dallas Megaplex. So not only were relationships bridged across the pond, but the experience was shared with close friends I know and care about — in the flesh.
And I’m so thankful for them all. I’m thankful for my dear friends and the technology that helps bridge those gaps.
Here’s to the hope that we utilize the technology to make ourselves more open and accessible to each other and that we learn to be more intentional about all our relationships – those in the next room, as well as those across the open sea.
