Thoughts on a Hopeful New Normal: Thriving with Technology, Together

By Jake Wilson, TPF Relationship Manager

I’m Jake, and I’m a millennial. Most of my close friends are also millennials. I was born in 1991, so I essentially grew up during this technology boom we’ve experienced over the past couple of decades. Walking around with a tiny powerful computer in my pocket—i.e., the latest and greatest iPhone, Galaxy, Pixel, etc.— is something my friends and I have pretty much taken for granted. Having the ability to access the Internet and connect with individuals from around the globe is really the only reality we’ve ever known during our adult lives.

However, during the COVID-19 quarantine, we must rely less on in-person connections and more heavily on technology. Whether it’s working remotely, Zoom conference calling, receiving real-time news and updates, or using our phones to see and talk to our loved ones with the press of a button, we are beyond blessed by today’s technological capabilities. Even comical posts on Facebook, Instagram, and other social media platforms allow us to smile and find a bit of humor in all of this.

Thanks to technology, we at TPF continue our operations and support of our partners’ missions and ministries despite shelter-in-place orders. Even though we may be working remotely, we are there when you need us. Despite the inability to meet with your church or non-profit organization in-person, we can effortlessly jump onto a Zoom call with you as if we were genuinely there.

Whether you’re an extrovert or introvert, it is certainly no secret, we all crave some degree of human interaction–REAL old-fashioned, in-person interaction. Shaking hands, hugging, laughing, breaking bread, and fellowshipping. It’s remarkably easy to get caught up in the bad news, grim media headlines, and occasional feelings of loneliness and powerlessness. And it’s usually not easy to see the light at the end of the tunnel. While sometimes change can be difficult and uncomfortable, together we possess an uncanny ability to adapt and overcome. In the face of adversity and during the most trying of times, human resiliency always seems to shine through.

Keep on keepin’ on, y’all.