Simplicity -vs- Technology (Part Two)

Simplicity -vs- Technology (Part Two)

So what’s the appropriate perspective regarding Christianized forms of tech? Paul’s directive is insightful: “From now on, those who... use the world [should be] as though they did not make full use of it; for the form of this world is passing away” 1 Cor 7:31. He’s essentially saying, “Make use of it, sure; but don’t be enamored with it, don’t get caught up in it, don’t rely on it, and don’t you dare let it get in the way. The focus must always be on those things which will never pass away.” Stupidly simple, I know, but it’s not a maxim we seem to be following these days.

What if, above and beyond all of our helpful Christian media tech, we regained that which was so very good before tech ever came onto the scene? What if we returned to the radically simple proposition of verbally sharing the Word with one another? In the millennia prior to Jesus, when the Word of God was spoken, sincere God-followers paid acute attention, because they would rarely have any other means of accessing it or retaining it. They asked questions of those more experienced than themselves in order to discover more of it’s content and principles. They were directed to share it with friends and rehearse it with their children in the morning, while out and about, and again at night, lest this incomplete-yet-incalculably-precious, unwritten copy of the Bible become lost to the next generation or mis-remembered. God’s Word had to live in their day to day conversations.

Notice how this plays out when Jesus comes onto the scene. Incident #1: Andrew finds his brother and announces, “We have found the Messiah!” Incident #2: Phillip says to Nathaniel, “We have found the very person Moses and the prophets wrote about...come see!” And incident #3: the woman at the well follows suit by asking her friends: “Could this be the Messiah?” Now think about this: the joyful announcements of Andrew, Phillip, and the unnamed woman would have been meaningless and non-motivating unless the concept of a messiah and the writings of the prophets had been previously discussed and mutually valued. These fishermen and outcasts not only valued the Word of God... they also discussed it with each other regularly as friends.

It’s only sensible, isn’t it? When we speak of God and His ways with the people we care about, it will heighten our mutual desire to know God, to serve Him together, and to see His Kingdom come. It will prepare us for what He wants to do. Use the media tech, yes, but don’t expect it to do the work for you; incorporate the Word directly into your relationships. And DON'T think that the limited "we're in church right now, and we're talking about God" conversations are sufficient, nor the orchestrated Bible Study discussions you may be involved in. Beyond both of these, discuss God and His ways as revealed in the Bible “on your own time,” so to speak, with those close to you.

Imagine a church whose people were preoccupied with the things of God in their daily lives and conversations... wouldn’t that be a place where Jesus might show up to do something new?