I remember the first time I accessed the internet. The local library in my small town had set up a computer. Are you old enough to you hear the long grating dial up in your head? (Was that sound truly necessary?) It was a disappointment for my 12 year old self; I wrote it off and went back to books.
Fast forward over 25 years. The last time I accessed the internet was - right now. And five minutes before that I checked the weather. Fifteen minutes before that I was looking up ballerina princesses for the 2 year old after she interrupted me in the middle of typing a blog thought.
I’ve come to expect a lot from the internet.
Often too much.
It’s a window into others’ beauty as well as their bane. It reflects my thoughts or repels them. It offers pundits, fake news, and slightly tinted views of the world.
But it also provides access to history, geography, math, and medical journals that allow me, if I’m willing to dig, to uncover real facts.
I just need to remember I won’t find them on social media or curated news sites.
It is the glory of God to conceal a matter,
But the glory of kings is to search out a matter. Proverbs 25:2
It is our privilege to learn, to seek, and be constantly discovering. It is a majestic honor to learn.
I got on social media after college (MySpace, anyone?) to keep up with friends spread across the world. It keeps me abreast of missionaries who need prayer, or a care package, or the comforting reminder that they are not alone, despite miles.
Often recently I’ve been tempted to throw up my hands in frustration as I try to navigate privately owned sites (like Facebook, Twitter, or CNN) and find them falling short. But perhaps it’s just my expectations that need a check. When I treat the internet as a tool, I must be willing to use it as such. That means work.
So today, rather than curse the web or worship it, I’m choosing to use it- like a spider, deftly connecting sticky filaments.
It’s a tool. I’m thankful for it.