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Wesleyan Life

Living in Real Time

By Valorie Quesenberry

I stared at the screen, gulping down the facts, hypnotized by the scope of the tragedy. Once again, my connection to cyberspace had kept me current with the world's events, but instead of feeling informed, I felt smothered.

I'm told it's called "flooding." Being deluged with too much information.

For people of previous generations, news traveled slowly, and though news circuits reported the stories, they mostly dispensed brief snips of general information. Newspapers printed details, but sometimes a few days late. Neighbors talked about the world's woes over the back fence. They called a friend to share comfort over a family situation. They lived life with the present front and center. The news around them stayed in perspective.

Real World Needs

The evolution of air travel coupled with lightning speed technology has amped up the consumption of information. Reporters are on scene in a matter of hours, broadcasting the gore and glory from a bird's eye view. Screens across the globe display whatever trauma is happening in any corner of the world.

Jim Elliot wrote "Wherever you are, be all there. Live to the hilt every situation you believe to be the will of God."^[1] The Internet had not been invented when he penned those words in his journal, but the wisdom applies. The realm of cyberspace must not replace the real world, the actual community in which we live. Families in my church need me to care about them just as much as the parents in the news whose child is missing. My next-door neighbor may be experiencing a tragedy as deep as the one across the country. My family needs me to talk to them as much as my friends need to read my e-mails or enjoy the updates on my blog.

Balance

I don't think this is a case of either/or. I believe it's about learning to balance. We live in a more advanced society than our ancestors; this is beyond our control. What is in our control is how we manage our resources. There are many benefits to modern technology: It keeps us in touch with family and friends separated from us by our contemporary, long-distance style of living.

It connects missionaries with their base and loved ones.
It allows emergency personnel to respond quickly and save lives.
It enables the distribution of the Gospel to remote regions of the world.
It provides us with photos and information that enrich our lives.

Taking Control

But technology out of control may do more damage than harm. How do we manage it? For example, managing the technology available to us on the Internet can be challenging. Here are some suggestions:

Stay focused on what is really important by reading God's Word daily.
Balance reading real-life information with light reading from a book or magazine.
Divide the time between reading a friend's blog and making personal contact with them.
Surf Christian oriented self improvement sites and then get in gear and tackle your own areas of need. Don't just read about it; do it.

Real-time means what is happening right now, in this actual minute of life. Real-time technology has made us more informed. Real-time living keeps us in touch with what really matters.

- Valorie Quesenberry is a freelance writer and blogger who lives in Salem, Ohio.

1. Keep a Quiet Heart, Fleming H. Revell, Grand Rapids, MI, 1995. Pg. 150