I mentioned last week that not only had the cover for The Church and New Media been designed–and it turned out great–but that Cardinal Seán O’Malley of Boston had also contributed a great Foreword for the book.
Well, just yesterday, I opened my inbox to find another exciting item: a 1,200-word Afterword from Archbishop Timothy Dolan of New York!
Here’s a snippet from one of my favorite parts (emphasis mine):
(A)s Christians, we are all evangelists, implored by our friendship with God and his love for humanity to invest this gift wisely. My friends and family know I am not a “techie” by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, I still haven’t figured out my television’s remote control, and I fear someone will want to upgrade it before I ever figure this one out!
Yes, our brave new world of technology and communication can be overwhelming in its complexity and consequences. And here lies the temptation for the contemporary Church: faced with a technological evolution beyond our personal capacities or preferences, we can opt for old and comfortable patterns of communication even if they limit our ability to connect in meaningful and effective ways with the world we are called to evangelize.
I call this a temptation because preferring comfort to mission is never a holy option. We need only imagine how the great evangelist, St. Paul, would utilize New Media as a tool to spread the Good News!
I’m so thankful that Cardinal O’Malley and Archbishop Dolan were willing to help with this project. Both of these men are heroes of mine, and having them participate in the book is like having Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson shoot hoops with you in your driveway.
I’m convinced that because of their contributions, the book will be embraced by even more people within the Church.
P.S. If you missed Archbishop Dolan’s fantastic “60 Minutes interview” on CBS, watch it here or read the recap.