"We are used to a world where little things happen for love and big things happen for money. Love motivates people to bake a cake and money motivates people to make an encyclopedia. Now, though, we can do big things for love."
~Clay Shirky, Here Comes Everybody (p. 104)
Technology is changing our ecology, according to Clay Shirky. These are not just little changes in our world. The changes from technology are incredibly pervasive and deep. One of the biggest changes is in what motivates people to do things. As quoted above, Shirky says that big things used to happen for money. As the world of technology changes and changes us, what does our world look like if we now do big things for love instead? Does this get us closer to the kingdom of God here on earth?
Great Post Sarah,
ReplyDeleteThe quote from Shirkey is a great one. Being the cynic I am, I wonder if we will get to a place with technology/social media when even joining a cause, the big things for love, will seem too big or time consuming, and people will yield, allowing the "money makers" to move in and set up camp? I hope not.
The world looks like a more tight-knit community when big things are done for love. Even more so though when even little things are done for love. Unfortunately (here comes the cynic in me) any community will have those "challenges" that cause community to deteriorate.
Mmmm. That cake looks tasty!
I agree with you, Matt. I tend to be a little cynical about it too, but when we look at the success of things like Wikipedia (done basically without money), it kind of makes me stop and wonder.
ReplyDeleteI thought the cake looked awesome too! :)
maybe it's worth thinking about what each of US does for love, and then, in religious education mode, think about what God does for us in love... where does that draw us into community?
ReplyDeleteHmmmm. What does God do for us in love? Where does that draw us into community? Sounds like the doctrinal sermon I just wrote for Systematic Theology. It was based on the story from Luke 5 of the friends who brought the man who was a paralytic to be healed. The room was so crowded that they had to let him down through the roof into the midst of the people and into the presence of Jesus. I was the community of friends who provided the faith for the man to be healed. Does the community provide faith for the individual when the individual cannot speak for themselves?
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