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This morning I traveled the commute from the DePaul dorm where I’m staying to the meeting hall of the Ekklesia Project wearing my iconic ipod headphones. This was less of a desire to hear some Roots, while walking and more of an opportunity to observe the reactions of my fellow Ep members. Yesterday, Kenneson described the project as a family reunion with it’s odd and quirky uncles and aunts. Indeed, he had to work very hard to not start down some of the members as he said that. Kenneson further continued to describe formation, saying in fact, “formation happens.” I wanted to see what formation has already taken place, so I PodWalked. I collected the following responses:
Two odd looks, but no comments or verbal interaction, from the EP couple on the elevator ride down.
One “Have a good day” from the non-Ep campus life people
Two aborted attempts at conversation with ep members as I walked down the street going something like this: “Hel…., o. you’re listening to music.”
One complete order cycle at Starbucks.
One *random* conversation with a woman in line at Starbucks regarding the wide variety of options and her inability to make on the spot decisions. –No, I’m not kidding.

It is interesting to note that the Christians, at “the family reunion” were, in this case, unwilling to try and intentionally form me by ignoring the technological barriers I erected. On the other hand, those un-affialated with the Ep, were more than willing to walk through the walls of technology to engage me in conversation. Is this because we are “too kind” to confront human individualism? Because we are scared of technology? Because we do not want to engage in forceful formation?

One of the reasons I find Technology to be such a double-edge sword in the hand and flesh of the body of Christ, is the fear we sometimes invent surrounding technology. Indeed, it seems we waiver between over-indulgence and puritanical fear of technology. We fear breaking it. We fear it breaking. We fear typos in powerpoint and squeals on sound systems. We fear viruses and worms. We fear depriving others of technology by asking them to remove their headphones and *talk* to others.

I don’t say any of this to condemn, though I am positive there is a time and a place for the forceful formation of christians against the power and principality of technology; but rather to illustrate the insidious and quiet nature of formation. Indeed, formed to believe in personal choice, we don’t question if we should ask or demand others to engage with us.