There are few user interfaces that are simpler to use than the Google search box. Who would have imagined that the massive scope of the entire Internet could be navigated through that simple box? In contrast, we (The Church) often seem to create extremely complex interfaces to the same basic, but yet important, content. Now, to be fair, many times that is not intentional. But…that’s actually the problem (lack of intention)!
Just to clarify, I’m not simply talking about our websites. We make it complex for people to find answers about God or be a part of a church in general. We put so many barriers in front of people and try to simultaneously convey way too much information and give people very little control over what information they receive and how/where they receive it.
I would never use Google if it required me to leave my house and travel to an unfamiliar building on Sunday only once a week…listen to 30 minutes of unrecognizable music, followed by a person talking for 30-40 minutes, and still possibly have to try to find a person who looked “official” just to find “results” for my search. That would be absurd! But, that is a substantially abbreviated version of what so many churches put people through who are searching.My quick reaction is that he has a great point. After all, shouldn't we try to get the message to quickly and efficiently?
Yet, the more I think about this the more I think that there's something to the 'barriers' between us and religious information. If I was trying to get information on Islam I'd much rather authentically experience one of their gatherings and talk with some of their faithful.
I guess my counterpoint to the post is that facts and efficiency of communication only go so far when it comes to faith. There are a lot of questions that don't have quick answers (or answers at all). There are a lot of answers that don't make sense without experiencing life together in a Christian fellowship.
Thoughts?
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Comments (2)
In many cases, people ask questions and search for answers that obscure the real needs in their lives. While I agree that local bodies can exasporate those efforts with unnecessary hurdles, the 'Church' is a massive body that has it's strength in assembly of its various members working copperatively to discover the moves and mandates of God.
Keeping things simple is less about the 'interfaces' with the Church and more about people becoming integrated with the Church. The answers aren't found from the outside looking in... They are found on the inside reaching out.
Google, too, will have me sift through volumes of irrelevant or extraneous information if I don't know how to ask the question.
Many people don't know what questions they really want to ask, anyway.
Why? Because the Bible is foreign to us. It's a different world that requires us to walk neck deep in it. The Google analogy does hold here, somewhat, because to an outsider of the web, you're lost with where to start. But I've been "googling" for years now, and I know what kinds of queries at least get me into the ballpark of what I want.
As a computer scientist, I note that this data by nature doesn't make it easily categorizable. What kind of taxonomy would best represent our religious information? Narrative history? Systematic Theology? These issues still aren't fully resolved and there's merit to each, as an example.