With all the hype around the ipad’s release in Australia I am wondering what is driving all of this. Is it merely the love of gadgets and technology? Is it fashion and the status it can bring? Is it the need to have the most convienient, up to date information or some way of connecting in the urban jungle?

I love my gadgets but I have not yet gone and camped out for the release of one. Trying to scratch below the surface of these phenomenon is difficult. Perhaps grabbing an ipad is how you can become part of a new type of community, I certainly know that not having such devices can make you feel almost obselete at times. In modern society Community and connection are increasingly hard to find and establish. People are more mobile than ever and it is hard to establish local communities with the diverse demands on people’s time today. While devices such as mobile phones, and the next generation including the ipad seem to promise connection it is hard to see how it will be anything but superficial. Often the complexity of technology can lead you to spend more time playing with it than working on meaningful relationships. The ipad is designed more for communication of information and entertainment than any real connection. Admittedly when it comes to the ipad there is more behind it than merely connection, I suspect the novelty value and the perceived power of instant information are big factors too.

As I continue to look for connection I am reminded that through Jesus that God wants more than a superficial connection with us and calls us to find something deeper with Him. Knowing God gives us more reason to get involved in the inefficient process of getting to know others. In my suburban context I think for now I will be better spending my money on coffee at my local and enjoying life connected face to face.

Here is an interesting reflection on the vanity of Facebook from the age today:

Oh, vanity, thy name is all over Facebook

It is quite true that we don’t usually promote our problems, instead we create a ‘marketed’ image of ourselves for others to see. What I think is scary is that sometimes we are not honest enough with ourselves to see what we are really like. We may even prefer our ‘marketed’ version of ourselves to the reality of life.

The challenge I think that Jesus does very clearly is challenges us to face the reality of our lives but calls on us to trust in God and become what he would have us be. In this sense we are never stuck in a depressing reality but called to look beyond it.

As for Facebook, it is a complex tool and to say it can only be used for self promotion is an over-exaggeration. It provides many possibilities and tools that can add to relationships, but is not sufficient to sustain them on its own.

It turns out that more and more brands are taking the space left by the removal of religious ideas in our society.It is the latest ideas or products that grab our hopes and dreams for both the present and the future.

In this article, Mr Lindstrom the author of Buyology is quoted:

“In a world where religion in many societies has begun fading away, brands have begun to take over the role of belief. We as human beings need something to believe in and brands have become almost mini-religions.

If this is the case it may be that more and more Christians ought to think through the dangers and idolatry of the current climate of consumerism. If Christians are to introduce people to Jesus then it ought to be obvious that they are devoted to him.