There are
news reports today of church leaders identifying Face Book as part of “the
trouble with young people today” – replacing face-to-face relationships with virtual
relationships. I’m not convinced. Certainly the world of cyber-everything brings
problems and dangers, but not just problems and dangers. There are real strengths and benefits
too. In any case, it got me thinking
again about the notion of “virtual church” – the formation of on-line Christian
communities that intend to be an authentic participation in the body of Christ. That’s the theory, anyway.
In my
vision statement for the recent Assembly, I included these comments:
“I see the
UCA’s vitality coming from the health of its congregations – a diversity of
local communities of reconciliation.
There’s no single model for local church life. Neighbourhood congregations, regional
churches, linked lay-led congregations, faith communities, house churches and
emerging new forms of Christian community and outreach all have a place in the
future of the UCA.
“I know
that there’s a lot that’s imperfect about church life, but this is a statement
of vision. I’m allowed to say that I’m
one of those who really believe that the local church is the hope of the world. For the local church is a sign, foretaste and
instrument of “reconciliation and renewal…for the whole creation”. It’s a beachhead of the kingdom of God."
My question
now is this: Can an on-line Christian community really be one of the many forms
of “local communities of reconciliation” that I see as the hope for the world? Or, is there something fundamental missing from virtual relationships that mean they can never amount to that authentic koinonia (community, communion, fellowship or friendship - pick the word that works for you) that is the body of Christ?
