So, what is Cloud Culture about?
Cloud Culture is about social media, but
I don’t want that to scare anybody off because this isn’t a techie,
computer-oriented book at all. We feel that social media, at its core, is about
two things: communication and relationship. We believe God designed us with a
need to know others and to be known by others and Cloud Culture, while it
addresses current social sites, is really about how to develop deep personal
relationships in this new and evolving landscape, and, ultimately, where our faith
fits into that.
So,
this is like a social media “code of conduct” per se?
Actually, no. In the earliest stages
of writing we realized how easy it would be to throw down a list of do’s and
don’ts and write a “rules and regulations” book. We worked very hard to avoid
doing that. I don’t think anybody really wants to read that anyway. I know I
don’t. Instead, Cloud Culture is more of a “big picture” approach to it all.
Social media will always be changing and advancing, so we wanted to start a
dialog that discusses the fundamentals of how we communicate and navigate
relationships from a biblical standpoint in this post-modern era. So, rather
than a code of conduct, we want the Church to have the vision to see the
possibilities and limitless opportunities available to us through social media.
Cloud Culture is not intended to show you how to “do” social media. We want to
start a movement, a movement that sets a foundation for relationships and
communication that honors God and allows the Gospel to seep out of our lives in
a real, organic way.
Why
now?
Well, we feel this book could come out next
year or five years from now, and still be relevant in terms of its concepts,
regardless of how the landscape of social media changes. But because of the
void there has been regarding a real conversation in the Church about social
media, along with the approach we wanted to take, we felt a sense of urgency to
be on the front end of this conversation.
Who did you have in mind when you wrote
Cloud Culture?
We wrote this in a way that multiple sets of people will
benefit. Our youth have grown up with social media and they know no other way.
This will help them get a foundation of understanding what the Bible says about
the power of their words. Also, parents need this because they often feel
ill-equipped regarding social media. They’re just trying to stay afloat themselves
with all of the changing technologies, not to mention parenting their kids
through it. That’s where Cloud Culture comes in. And last, it’s for those in
the ministry. We want pastors and youth pastors to feel well equipped to speak
and function confidently in this new landscape that NEEDS to be pastured.
They’re just trying to keep up as well with it all, and their congregants need
guidance. This is where we want to help. And we feel the book will serve those
in ministry well. But to date, we have gotten tons of positive feedback from
people who don’t fit any of those profiles. So we’ve realized that if you’re a
Christian and you’re involved in social media, no matter how directly or
indirectly, then you will benefit from reading Cloud Culture.
How
does social media look different for a Christian versus a non-believer?
In one respect it looks the same. It’s how we communicate.
It’s literally our lives and relationships on display. Where it looks different
for the Christian is that we strive to hold ourselves to a higher standard and
even consider how what we say will affect those on the receiving end of our
posts. Are they just acquaintances or people we want to impress or stay in
touch with? Or do we really SEE them, as God sees them? Are we open to reading
between the lines to see people’s need and to realize that we have been handed
these amazing tools that no previous generation could have dreamed of to
communicate with the world? Cloud Culture isn’t really a formula. However, it
is an encouragement and a reminder that you are in a relationship with God, and,
if THAT relationship is strong, it will naturally spill over into social media
in a real and genuine way that a formula can’t produce.
In
Cloud Culture, you write that we should strive against using social media as
only a platform for voicing our beliefs and opinions. What do you think about
bloggers, and particularly those who spend the majority of their time calling
out what they believe are problems in the Church?
Well, it is certainly a place and a platform to express
ourselves, and our views, etc. That’s part of the beauty of it. My concern is
that we don’t want to get lost in all of the noise as just having another set
of opinions or beliefs among many. Ours is not just one more set of opinions
out there. It’s the Gospel of Christ. And because of that, we have to remember
what social media is about at its core…relationship and communication. So Cloud
Culture isn’t about being good at technology; rather, it’s about being biblically
grounded in terms of relationship and communication. As believers, when we’re
sincere and good at both, that will come out and resonate in a real and honest
way. As far as the problems in the Church or disagreements, we want people to
realize that what we post has a very long shelf life. Long after we may have resolved
a situation, it still lives out there. As Christians, more than anyone, we
should realize the power of our words.
You
talk about Christians being ambassadors of Christ. How does that look on a
practical level in the social media world?
(Chuck) It looks much the same as in our real lives because
that’s what people are watching unfold on social media--our lives. I’ve been
married for 21 years, and if there was no trace of my relationship with my wife
in my social media, well, that would speak to some real issues. So, how can we
conduct ourselves daily in social media and have our relationship with God
nowhere to be found? And not forced or fake, or out of a sense of duty, but a
natural reflection of the place the relationship holds in our lives.
What
are some practical ways to reach people through social media without simply
just posting daily Bible verses?
One thing we can do is work at fostering real relationships
within our networks. Another thing is to reach out with a private message when
we can see that someone is struggling. There are other ways too - less public
ways. For example, what if everyone reading this today looked at their Facebook
friends list or Twitter followers, then picked one person and prayed for them
today, and did the same tomorrow. It’s a quiet act, and maybe no one would
know, but that doesn’t negate the fact that it’s a remarkably powerful. Imagine
if we could get thousands or perhaps millions to do this on a daily basis.
In Cloud Culture, you write, “It’s a true
sign of maturity and Christian character when you can restrain yourself from
leaving remarks that will only fuel the online conversations which are neither
edifying nor productive.” How does a Christian handle this type of temptation?
You know, it’s not easy. There are certainly things worth
defending. But it does require some discernment. It’s easy enough to
misinterpret each other speaking face to face. But when typed or texted, and we
abbreviate and condense our thoughts, there is again a real loss of context, which
makes it very difficult to communicate well this way. Sometimes the most
constructive thing we can do is to choose a different path. Pick up the phone
and talk, or speak face to face. There’s an amazing amount of healing that
takes place when someone takes the time to call and resolve the issue
personally rather than the quick text message of tweet. Sometimes skipping the
new convenient route for the old fashioned one is the wisest choice.
What
do you think social media will look like in the years to come?
It’s almost impossible to know, and I’m sure someone is
already hard at work imagining and building the next big social media platform.
But I am sure of two things. First, it’s not going away. Social media only
stands to get bigger and hold a bigger place in our lives and culture. And second,
whatever form it takes, whatever it looks like, whether it’s Facebook, Twitter,
or the next big thing, it is still…at its core…ultimately about communication
and relationship…and how we “do” both. And because of that, what we are setting
out to accomplish with Cloud Culture is to lay down some principles that aren’t
limited to any current or popular platform that could be out of date or out of
business tomorrow, but instead we want to establish a standard as Christians
for how we communicate with each other, how we relate to those around us, and
ultimately how we represent the cause of Christ.
