Bad graphics and endless smileys aren't the only sins committed in the name of social networking sites. At least, not according to CNN, who saw fit to publish a "1,2,trend" piece about people giving up MySpace and Facebook for Lent.
"It's a form of spiritual awareness that allows you to reconnect with God," said Jocelyn Chiu, an Emory University sophomore and active member of her Presbyterian church. "By giving up something that used up so much of my time, I realized that I had been leaving my spiritual life behind."
Chiu gave up Facebook for Lent in 2006 and went one step further this year -- vowing to avoid the Internet altogether. She has only allowed herself to check Emory's internal e-mail for school-related messages
Ouch. That would be hard. And interesting, in light of the statistic in the Washington Post the other day, saying that hits for "God" are rivaling the number of hits for "sex." What way do the numbers go this time of year, especially if Christian netizens like Chiu aren't holding up their end?
Me, I'm all over it. I think that a personal fast is one of the great spiritual practices that crosses traditions. And very timely for our age. As Solzhenitsyn said in his infamous Harvard address, America needs, more than anything, to learn the ability to say "no" to itself.
My Lent observance got really creative about five years ago, when a friend and I started giving up plastic bags. In New York, this is almost impossible, and leads to near-fistfights with take-out counters who want to swaddle your food in layers of cardboard, strings, paper and plasic. As for ordering in, one of those New York perks - forget it. Just try ordering the mu-shu pork, hold the environmental destruction, and see what comes to your door.
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