Taking every thought captive for obedience to Christ (2 Corinthians 10.5)

Disciplines
Reading
Do the growth and growing popularity of the Internet mark the end of serious reading?

Some critics, such as Nicholas Carr (The Shallows), fear that it does. Mr. Carr warns that the shallowness and narcissism of the Internet are shaping our brains to think in shallow, self-serving ways, thus contributing to the problem Neil Postman wrote about almost a generation ago, that of our penchant for “amusing ourselves to death.”

There are doubtless good reasons for thinking this, especially given the increasing evidence of shallowness and narcissism in our day.

Others want to take the Internet in stride and learn to make good use of it. Paul La Farge is among the latter, as he explains in the January/February 2016 issue of Nautilus (“The Deep Space of Digital Reading”).

Mr. La Farge situates the phenomenon of Internet reading in the larger history of reading, seeing it as the next leap forward in the acquisition and use of information. He observes, “Done badly (which is to say, done cynically), the Internet reduces us to mindless clickers, racing numbly to the bottom of a bottomless feed; but done well, it has the potential to expand and augment the contemplative space that we have prized in ourselves ever since we learned to read without moving our lips.”

Benefitting from reading the Internet is related to what we read, how we read, and what we expect as we read. To put it another way: Thoughtful in, thoughtful out. That the Internet puts more information at our disposal than ever before is not a problem. Previous rapid increases in publishing and reading, Mr. La Farge observes, gave us “the Enlightenment, Romanticism, the American and French revolutions.”

He might have included the Reformation in that list, since reformers like Luther and Calvin made excellent use of the invention, in the generation before them, of moveable type. Could reading the Internet help to bring about the next Great Awakening?

Mr. La Farge concludes, “the history of reading suggests that what we’re presently experiencing is probably not the end times of human thought. It’s more like an interregnum, or the crouch before a leap.” Which begs the question, “At or to what will we leap?” If our use of the Internet goes no further than the satisfaction of our narcissistic or entertainment aspirations, then we’ll only be leaping into the abyss of self and self-destruction.

But if we aim higher from our reading of the Internet, seeking the Kingdom and righteousness of Christ here as in all things, we might discover resources which the Spirit can use to revive our souls, renew our churches, and awaken our generation to the truth that is in Jesus.

The Internet is a tool, a very valuable tool, that will serve whatever purpose we choose. If our purpose is to further progress in the Kingdom of God, to know more of its presence, promise, and power, and to live and proclaim it more persuasively, then we will find the Internet to be a most useful resource and aid.

For reflection
1.  Would you describe your use of the Internet as “thoughtful” and Kingdom-seeking? Explain.

2.  Suggest some guidelines for making good use of the Internet for realizing more of the presence, promise, and power of the Kingdom of God.

3.  Begin keeping a log of your Internet use. Review it weekly to make sure you’re using the Internet for the purposes of Christ and His Kingdom.

Next steps: Share these three questions with some Christian friends, and consider ways you might help one another be more responsible in your use of the Internet.

T. M. Moore

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