A few amazing things happened to me last year. First of all, my facebook friend list hit the 1000+ mark. Yeah, silly, I know, but celebrate small victories right? Secondly, I raised over $1000 to help a woman with cancer just through my blog and a few simple emails.
 
After that, I began to think that having 1000 friends on facebook was more consequential than I had thought. So, I came up with a great idea about using blogs to raise money for a charitable cause. In the course of a month, nearly $30,000 was donated. It was amazing. After that, I was encouraged to consider my online life (and my 1000 facebook friends) as part of my real life, instead of segmenting "online" and "offline" interactions into two diametrical sectors.
 
Recently, I reconnected with a friend from summer camp online that I hadn't talked to in years. We shared New Year's Resolutions and encouraged each other in what God was doing in our lives. I also got to talk with a woman from my church via facebook chat that I haven't really taken the time to get to know. She shared some pretty personal stuff, and it was an honor to listen to her heart. She also ended up supporting me, just because of a brief online conversation. On top of that, I found out that a couple in our church had met through an online dating service! (I was amazed, because there was nothing creepy about them as individuals or as a couple, which just blew my mind.)
 
I wondered if this was all new, or if community had been happening around me, and I was just getting tuned into this reality. I began to ask myself: "Can online community really exist?" I started looking back at some old blog comments and was surprised to see what a difference this little blog had made in people's lives. One reader said:
 
Thanks, Jeff for your blogs and your heart for people and especially the poor. I know I never comment but I am always either challenged or encouraged and many times both by your posts. Also, thanks to you I was introduced to Jon Foreman, whose music and lyrics are incredible. So thanks. Grace and Peace.  

Because of my blog, I've met people for coffee and had amazing in-person exchanges that I never would have had. One of my very close friends here in Nashville found me because she Googled "the poor of Nashville" and found a blog post I had written. I actually just had coffee with her yesterday. We would have never met if it weren't for this blog.
 
It seems that there used to be a certain stigma attached to online interactions and so-called "communities" on the web. A couple years ago, I was a strong critic of facebook, myspace, and even the blogosphere. I thought that it was a poor substitute for real community. I didn't think that you could have real relationships on the internet (you know, other than that eHarmony stuff).
 
I was wrong. I hope my 1000 facebook friends can forgive me.
 
For other blogs on this topic, check out what other bloggers are discussing in regards to community and technology (if you'd like to get in on this, just post a blog on this topic with the following list of links, and email me):