ZOOM - Word for 2020 and Our Longing for Relationship!

It is not even June yet and the word ZOOM has already been identified as the top word search for 2020. It is not just a software that connects millions over video but it is also an expression of our deepest need. That is our need for relationship.

Zoom is simply defined as adjusting the lens of a camera. It is what the founder, Eric Yuan called his revolutionary technology, ZOOM, that is now popularized as the most often used word for 2020. It has forever changed how we conduct business and build relationships in the days of the Pandemic.

I recently read an article published by NewStatement that reads, in-part, that also created perhaps the second most often used word as a warning to its users, "ZOOMbombings". The author writes, "uninvited users crashing meetings or parties, and sometimes sharing violent and pornographic imagery."  It is an incredible reminder that the internet is filled with both good and evil. I will save the word "ZOOMbombing" for another article but for now, I want to write about our need for relationships.

One interesting side-note. I was able to recently watch a ZOOM LIVE presentation with the owner and tops executives of the ZOOM corporation. It was so interesting to eavesdrop in on their discussion. They talked about their corporate plan that included being ready to engage and sign up the product for those working from home. They projected that as many as 50 percent of all office use would be working from home by 2033. They laughed as they had to accelerate their plans quickly since the pandemic sent 100 percent of the work force to a virtual stay-at-home office in a matter of days. Yikes!  I can't even imagine how they were able to handle that demand.

The top corporate leader who governed the roll-out of ZOOM in the United Kingdom was asked the most interesting question that caught my attention. They laughed as they asked, "How did it go with the Queen of England using ZOOM to celebrated her 94th birthday. With a bit of slap-happy humor he responded, "Well, all I was concerned about was making sure that the computer server that transmitted her ZOOM call didn't fail."  Someone commented, "Did she use a free version of the software or did she pay for it?"  It was remarkable, they added, as soon as the media broke the news  that over 100,000 new users were signed up in just a few minutes of her using ZOOM. Talk about influence!

We all need relationships. We exist to have connections. Just look at the growth of social media platforms. They are all growing exponentially every day!  People want to have followers and likes and viewers. We all look to see how may friends we have virtually. While few are not connected in this way, most yearn for some level of social capital that gains attention with every post.

We are living in a new day. We are all using forms of social media that is both alarming and concerning. We live our lives in front of a camera and screen. We are especially seeing this growth in good and not-so-good ways. This reality is undeniable. We long for relationships.  Superficial or intimate, we look for ways to relate to others and be heard.

In a recent research article by Dave Chaffey, we find that the incredible growth of social media has "transformed marketing" as Chaffey explains:

"Social media users are now spending an average of 2 hours and 24 minutes per day multinetworking across an average of 8 social networks and messaging apps."

I am certain that this stat is has been eclipsed by the stay-at-home orders we now realize during these global pandemic days in recent weeks. Never-the-less, it is clear, these are changing times and the use of such media far surpasses our understanding. The article continues to remind us that this rapid-growth phenomenon is going to mean that we cannot ignore its influence or expectation of how we are to respond. This being said, the non-profit and for profit industries have to adapt. Why?  It is because we are wired around relationships.

For me, it think that this comes down to our desire to be notices, heard, validated, and in relationship with others. We are simply seeing a response to our need to be in relationship.

Therefore, I recommend that the church respond to this incredible opportunity to communicate in ways we have never fully realized. Since the days of the pandemic the church has been forced to respond and go online. We have seen rural and city churches race to get their services online. I contend that the church MUST remain in the space of online use for this point forward. We must be ahead of the curve on this one!  We must do more than just have a Facebook page. We must to more than have a 30-45 minute message to deliver. We must recognize the incredible opportunity to grow and adapt to this new way of doing ministry and deliver church.

I think that it comes down to relationship. I think that we must find ways to listen and respond to this complex need through simple solutions. I recommend that pastors and leaders of ministries figure out how to communicate their cause and central mission in a way that both engages and communicates effectively in this age of social media. I call this growing our social capital in an age of social media and expansive internet usage.

Yet, in this age to race to the world of the internet in search of the social media frenzy, we should not forget that people are ultimately wired as social creatures. We are human beings with a need to be heard and to hear others. We need to understand the complex in simple terms and to respond to this need by being real and genuine in our interactions over social media. It is more that just asking people to join the conversation online but it about finding ways to engage and connect with people. It is about listening and being willing to serve. It is about going back to the basics where we simply discover a new normal that is inclusive of meeting genuinely and with a heart for ministry to people.

During these last 50-plus days of the stay-at-home orders and the seemingly increased risk during this pandemic, I have have held over fifty ZOOM video calls with pastors and met with many more as I have attended ministerial meetings and conferencing events including one I was excited to host over Facebook LIVE during the National Day of Prayer.

I like the old notion of being neighborly yet using social media to not just talk about our agenda but moreover to share inspiring posts and messaging with intentional efforts to care about people no matter who they are or where they are coming from. I think that we can all take application to what Paul was saying as he wrote, "But now in Jesus you who once were FAR OFF have been BROUGHT NEAR by the blood of Christ." (Ephesians 2:13 - ESV)  I think that God knows how important it is to be in relationship with others and feel connected. Once we were far away and now we have been brought near is the heart-felt need we all have.

After all, isn't it about being brought near and all the more being brought near in Christ Jesus? Point to ponder.