Facebook scares me.

I opened up a facebook account a couple of hours ago. And to be perfectly honest it scares me.

This is my thought progression: What does it mean to be known? How many people do you really know? How many people really know you?

Given a choice, all of us would prefer to be liked rather then hated.

Given a choice, all of us would rather be accepted than judged.

Given a choice, all of us would rather be seen as smart rather than ignorant.

Given a choice, all of us would like to be understood rather then labelled.

This is why facebook scares me. It only offers snap shots of who we really are, and is a terribly inaccurate picture that can be misrepresented and twisted with very little effort. No matter how much you write, post or blog...it will only ever be a fraction of the total picture. Think about all the assumptions we make person to person when we first meet someone...imagine the potential for miscommunication when we have only the internet as a tool.

By being totally honest and open, I am opening up the potential for a very personal and at the very core of who I am attack. Not all my beliefs are accepted, and many of the things I write will be misinterpreted. I feel like my own wife half the time does not really understand me! What am I expecting from the limitations of the internet?!

I guess it all comes down to: is the risk worth the goal? The goal is to continue to figure out what life is all about, learning and sharing with as many people as possible. The goal is to be shown where I am wrong, and to learn what is right and true (not just for myself, but for EVERYONE) The essentials are all the same for us aren't they?

As long as I can keep my heart and conscience clear before God...if I really believe that he is the most important thing in life...I will be okay. I may be persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.

Right now I think it's worth it. If my blog and facebook account are gone next week...it probably means I've changed my mind! :)

A warning to myself is that facebook is a tool, with great potential for good, but like all technology with an equal potential for evil.

Take this once last thought of mine as I post:

God, I hope you know what I am doing.

(I think of it only one way in my head, but as soon as I write it, I can see at least three ways for it to be interpreted! Sigh...we need Avatar pony tails for communication)