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| Facebook vs. Myspace (A look at Phillipians) |
| February 2008 By Chris Lane When I first heard about myspace I thought it was a silly idea. Why would I want to use myspace when I can already email, text, ring or even - crazy idea I know - see my friends face to face? But after a while I gave into peer pressure and joined. About 2 weeks later I noticed I was getting lots of messages from people saying that myspace was 'so last year' and they were moving to Facebook, because it was so much better. When I asked why it was so much better no one could tell me the reason, it just was. So after much resistance I left the familiarity of myspace and ventured into the wild world of Facebook. It seemed pretty similar, yet so much better, but I couldn't explain why. The thing I like most about Facebook is seeing what people are up to on their status updates. Now I don't have to speak to anyone ever again, I can just check how they are on Facebook! It makes for a great social life. 2000 years ago there was no Facebook. This is a hard concept for us to grasp, but it's true. When Paul wrote the letter to the Philippians in the first century AD he was in prison with no broadband access. He couldn't even send an email. But he was able to write a letter to a church in Greece who had just sent him some money as a gift. Philippi was the first place in Europe to hear the good news about the new King, Jesus, who had been crucified but had risen from the dead. Paul a lot of affection for this church, and his letter is full of encouragement and affirmation for them. Although Paul hoped that he would be released from prison, he was facing a possible death sentence. The Roman Empire had little respect for human life, especially a life that was spreading a radical counter-cultural message about a new King to every corner of the Empire. As I thought about the dire situation Paul was in here facing death, struggling for food (prisoners weren't provided with food by their captors) I wondered what his Facebook status might have been if he'd lived 2000 years later... Paul is scared? Depressed? Angry? Any of these would be a perfectly natural reaction. But actually his status update would have read something like this. Paul is joyful. Or Paul is thankful. Or Paul is content. Or Paul is hopeful and expectant that King Jesus will complete what he has started. The letter to the Philippians is exactly the opposite of the kind of letter you'd expect Paul to have written in this situation. Philippians 1:1-11 He begins his letter with a prayer of thanks to God not for himself but for his friends in Philippi. After greeting them with grace (which can mean joy, pleasure, acceptance) and peace (meaning wholeness, harmony, every kind of good), with joy and thankfulness he gives them some encouraging words, 'being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.' When I was at school I had a friend who never finished anything she started. However much food she had, a tiny amount or lots, she would always leave a little bit. She never finished her homework, never finished cross-country races, and rarely even finished her sentences. I had another friend who would always have great ideas, tell everyone about them, get us excited about getting involved, then lose interest. Paul is telling us that God is not like that. When God starts his work in our lives, he never loses interest. He never gets bored, and never turns away to concentrate on his next project. He is with us from start to finish, working to help us become everything we can be as individuals and as churches. This is one of the main themes of the letter to the Philippians. Paul also prays that their love would grow in knowledge and wisdom, or depth of insight. The more we know God, the more we'll love him. That's why it's important to study the Bible, because as we do that we'll get more knowledge and insight about God, and love him more as a result. Got this from: http://www.soulsurvivor.com/uk/IMAG/index.asp?CID=9 Signing off with gigglees n bubllless xD Gb Zoe ^^ |
