Talking on facebook

Facebook is proving quite useful for networking. It's a strange kind of place because unlike a blog you have no control over your page in the sense that you can not filter out that which might cause you to gasp and bristle although you do not, of course, have to accept all friendship requests. I've live-chatted with Pete Broadbent whom I think was very gracious to give me five minutes and I have spoken in Italian to an Italian deacon who I do not know but by using google translation tools, we decided we had Jesus in common and after that the conversation flowed. A few of my lecturers are facebook users, as are other students so it can prove quite useful. As with anything, you also need to ensure that you don't let it distract you from other things but it really is the friend of every social animal and like everything in life it can be used to build or distort God's Kingdom. It has been criticized by many but essentially, it is about communication. It is about saying, 'this is what I am thinking, do you ever think like that too?' and if people do not, there is the chance to grow and learn and if people do, then there is the chance of fellowship. It is not meant to compete with a hug and a coffee in one-to-one interaction, that is not its claim, it is just another way us human beings have invented in an attempt to connect with one another and that can be no bad thing.