“The Abolition of Thought”
“Digital Liturgies” — Week 6 Reflection
Outrage Examined
Let me begin by saying, I hope you are enjoying the book. Even if the book is making you feel nervous, or even nauseated, the hope is that it is helping you realize the social and personal effects of our digital age so that you can apply biblical wisdom—not just to the content you see and read, but the medium to which that content is coming to you.
With that said, this chapter was uniquely helpful to the overall purpose of the book. The focus of the chapter can be summarized in one word: Outrage.
The author winsomely points out the phenomenon of outrage we see online. There are several observations to mention. First, he talks about how people can say things online that you would never consider saying to someone in person. He talked about getting into a Twitter fued with someone, to the point that they blocked his account, but then when he saw this man in person, he acted like it had never happened. And this is not a unique experience, as many others have observed or experienced themselves (in fact, I have on many occasions). Of, course, this goes back to the chapter on disembodiment.
Anger & Fear
A second observation on this was how digital technology almost feeds on a user’s anger and fear. He points out that the goal of technology is to keep you on it. And, generally speaking, the things that make a person angry of fearful is what tends to get the most clicks and attention.
I remember talking to a lady a couple years ago about how anxious she was regarding the state of our country. And she told me about this pastor she listens to who regularly addresses those issues she is most concerned about. And I asked her: has your anxiety increased or decreased after listening to what this pastor has to say? And her answer was not surprising to me—her anxiety was worse. So, I encouraged her, that God’s word would never make you more anxious. And you would be wise to stop listening and instead, consider what God’s word actually says.
A Christian’s Guide to Online Interactions
That is exactly where the author went in this chapter, when he talked about how to think like a Christian regarding the things we see online that makes us fearful or angry. He mentioned three areas:
Christian thinking is careful.
In other words, it avoids making snap judgments and visceral reactions. As the authors states, anger is a powerful tool. Once someone has the power to make you angry, you have given them the power to control you. Instead, the Bible calls us to be slow to anger and to be angry for the things that make God angry. And to reserve vengeance to God.
Christian thinking is truthful.
I really liked the angle the author took on this. He didn’t just talk about truth in general, or as it relates to biblical doctrine. But whom we are willing to listen to. Often times, the people we typically agree with, we trust them too much. And because of this, we believe everything they say, like it is gospel truth. But the fact is, even the people we like can say untruthful things. I encountered this a lot in 2020. People I would have esteemed as smart and wise were saying really dumb things. And anger can do that. Just because someone is smart about a lot of things doesn’t mean everything they say is true. And the opposite is also true. That the people you would normally disagree with, are still able to speak truth. And a Christian thinker is able to hold these things in balance.
Christian thinking is communal.
In other words, Christians don’t just think within the unholy trinity of me, myself, and I. Instead, Christians should be courageous enough to let their thoughts be challenged and broadened through the community of the local church. The problem with technology is that it isolates us and gives us a façade of community. But that’s all it is, a façade. True community, the community we need, helps us by calling us to question our impulses and impressions to see the truth.
As we continue to consider these things in light of scripture, I pray that we would all continue to grow as Christian thinkers. That we would be slow to anger and quick to listen.
