JACKSON, Tenn. — Feb. 14, 2011 — In what is often called 鈥渢he digital age,鈥� Christians can express God鈥檚 love by giving attention to other people in person-to-person interactions, Read Schuchardt told the 51社区 community Feb. 11.
Rather than allowing themselves to be distracted by cell phones, Facebook, Twitter and other instant communication and social network technologies, 鈥�(Christians鈥�) love can be shown by being in the room,鈥� Schuchardt said.
Schuchardt, associate professor of media ecology at Wheaton College (Ill.), spoke in G.M. Savage Memorial Chapel at one of Union鈥檚 weekly chapel services.
鈥淓ach time we change the technology of our physical environment, we change our symbolic environment,鈥� Schuchardt said.
Technology has a history of affecting the economy, religion and other areas of culture, he said, arguing that the current 鈥渄igital age鈥� has brought on what he called 鈥渟even vices of the virtual life鈥�: desensitization, absurdity, disembodiment, isolation, narcissism, instant gratification and 鈥済oal-lessness.鈥�
In light of the negative effects he sees of current social technology, Schuchardt said Christians should carefully examine their use of technology.
鈥淐hristians are called to be agents of change,鈥� he said.
When Jesus gave the Great Commission, he said 鈥済o,鈥� 鈥渟peak,鈥� and 鈥渉eal,鈥� giving Christians the three media forms of their bodies, their voices, and their touch to use in interacting meaningfully with others, Schuchardt said.
Schuchardt challenged the Union community to take up the discipline of using these three media when interacting with people, even if it means turning off their cell phones.
鈥淥ur real opportunity (as Christians) is to be known as the people who show up,鈥� he said.
The full audio from Schuchardt鈥檚 chapel address is available at .
