NYE

Last Monday night in front of an audience of hundreds at a presentation at the University of Southern California, TV personality Bill Nye — popularly known as the "Science Guy" — collapsed in mid-sentence as he walked toward a podium. Early indications are that Nye is OK, but what is odd about the incident isn't so much Nye's health setback as it is the crowd's reaction to it. Or, more precisely, its non-reaction, according to several accounts.

It appears the students in attendance, rather than getting up from their seats to rush to Nye's aid, instead pulled out their mobile devices - not to call 911 - but to post information about Nye's loss of consciousness.

One student admitted: “Nobody went to his aid when he first collapsed — instead, I saw students texting and updating their Twitter statuses. It was all very bizarre."

A cursory search on Twitter revealed a virtual play-by-play account of the incident.

Still, the Nye incident is nowhere near as disturbing as another episode reported in New Orleans earlier the same week, which involved Anthony Barre, a New Orleans man popular for his acid-tongued comic performances on YouTube. He was tragically murdered on the streets of the city's 7th Ward. As he lay dying, witnesses at the scene took to the Internet to chronicle the tragedy in real time, even posting photos of his body lying in a pool of blood.

This is the world we have to minister in today. Pray God gives us wisdom to understand how to reach people in this 21st century where people have never been more connected socially while at the same time never more disconnected from one another.

And be blessed.