liquid modernity
She was one of the most famous persons that lived in the 20th century. Practically every person alive today knows who she is . . . her given name was Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu and she was born about 4 miles from where I am sitting writing this blog. She may have had a greater impact on the world than anyone in recent memory. She was known to the world as Mother Teresa.
For 60 years she produced. In one of the toughest places in the world, and among some of the neediest people in the world. She is one of the best solid, production-oriented people in ministry. She represents modernity at it’s best. Liquid Modernity on the other hand, describes the shift away from that, to ultimate individualism, flexible-morals-theology-truth-reality existence that the world is today. Talk about values in contrast!
I know what the church looked like with a Mother Teresa, but what does it look like with liquid modernity? How does the church operate, grow, function in an unstable world, an “impermanent” world? Nothing is stable any longer, not your work, job, home, family, these formerly stable items, are now in a constant state of flux. No one here even uses landline telephones anymore, cell phones have completely taken over (and I hate the darn little thing . . . I can’t ever get away from it!), everything is mobile, my computer, PDA, phone, LIFE! This generation values “speed, innovation and independence” in comparison to structure, production and teamwork.
So what is church, in a speed-innovation-independence framework? How does the Ancient Text marry the contemporary setting? These are super critical questions as I seek to minister to a congregation which is already a mix of 13 denominations and at least five different nationalities, just after the first week! And of course everyone has an idea of what this congregation should look like and be like . . . and none of them agree . . . so what does the church look like in a liquid modern culture? A liquid church?
For 60 years she produced. In one of the toughest places in the world, and among some of the neediest people in the world. She is one of the best solid, production-oriented people in ministry. She represents modernity at it’s best. Liquid Modernity on the other hand, describes the shift away from that, to ultimate individualism, flexible-morals-theology-truth-reality existence that the world is today. Talk about values in contrast!
I know what the church looked like with a Mother Teresa, but what does it look like with liquid modernity? How does the church operate, grow, function in an unstable world, an “impermanent” world? Nothing is stable any longer, not your work, job, home, family, these formerly stable items, are now in a constant state of flux. No one here even uses landline telephones anymore, cell phones have completely taken over (and I hate the darn little thing . . . I can’t ever get away from it!), everything is mobile, my computer, PDA, phone, LIFE! This generation values “speed, innovation and independence” in comparison to structure, production and teamwork.
So what is church, in a speed-innovation-independence framework? How does the Ancient Text marry the contemporary setting? These are super critical questions as I seek to minister to a congregation which is already a mix of 13 denominations and at least five different nationalities, just after the first week! And of course everyone has an idea of what this congregation should look like and be like . . . and none of them agree . . . so what does the church look like in a liquid modern culture? A liquid church?