New Media Salvation

Verity Jones, of the Center for Pastoral Excellence, and coordinator of the New Media Project formerly at Union Seminary spoke to us via Skype today.

We discussed the New Media Project which started as a way to teach religious groups to be technologically savvy. The work developed into deep theological research and discussion regarding the implications of media use by pastors, congregations, other religious leaders. The intention of the research, and the website, is to discuss how to use new mediums, such as facebook and YouTube, in ways that will strengthen faith communities.

Ms. Jones asked about the role of new media in salvation -
Not all theological schools will agree with this presupposition, but If Christ is our mediator, the intermediate agency, and we are students of medium, the means to bring something forth, then can media be a way to salvation?

In other words, can media be a mediator to the Mediator?

Can the internet truly be a means by which people are brought to Christ? Well, as much as I believe in this incarnate ministry of which we are a part, I also believe that the Holy Spirit is working and will be at work in the world through every possible means. This means that people can in fact come to Christ through their online community, even if there is no physical one.


But, we can never ever think that this is a replacement to physical community. Its our job as ministers in this new world to make sure that there is a relational ministry active in the world. When we seek to provide comforts to others we not only serve Christ in that person, but ARE Christ to that person.

"Truly, I say to you, as you did it to the one of the least of these, you did it to me...I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me...Truly I said to you, as you did it not to one of the least of these, you did it not to me." 

Through social network we can feed more people spiritual food - some for the very first time. Hopefully later this week we will discuss how to make those virtual encounters develop into faithful physical encounters.