Do You Remember?
INTRODUCTION
I am forgetful. That is no news to those who know me. Yet, there are some events that I clearly remember. I remember the first day we bought a BETA player. We could watch movies at home! (Yes—we had to eventually replace it with a VHS player). I remember the first day we installed a phone at home. We could call a person just by dialing the number (literally). We could call from home without coins and without time limit! I remember the first time I bought a CD. I could not believe that I could fast-forward in a matter of seconds and did not have to turn the disc to side B! Fifteen songs in one flat disc! I remember the first time we got Internet at home. We could access the newspaper online, and it only took a minute to download! I remember the first time I sent an email. Would it really take only seconds to get across the ocean? Do I need to pay by each email?—I wondered.
SUMMARY
I could continue telling you about the first time I got a palm pilot, DSL Internet, HD TV, an iPhone, a laptop, or Netflix. I can even tell you exactly where I was when I watched the horrifying news on September 11, 2001. The truth is that my life experiences have been shaped by the evolution of the media technologies. In the book, A Social History of the Media, Asa Briggs and Peter Burke take me into a journey that goes far beyond my forty-two years of life (yes, I am that young). They show me how the media has evolved from Gutenberg in 1450 to the present, describing in a matter-of-fact tone the complex dance between the creative innovations in media communications and its influence in global society.
REFLECTION
People respond differently to the reality described by Briggs and Burke. Some people in Christian circles may look at these inventions as intrusive and evil. Others welcome these innovations with excitement and without much reflection. How do I respond as a Christian leader? As I reflect on my reading and its implications in my life and ministry I can identify three principles that I must embrace if I am to lead effectively.
First, I must embrace the communication technologies with a critical mind. Media is a means—a tool that can be used for good or for evil. The Internet and cellphones have opened new possibilities for improving lives beyond what we could have 
ever imagined before. A good example is captured in the documentary, Twinsters, the story of identical twins who accidentally learned about each other’s existence through YouTube—even though they lived in two separate continents and knew no one in common (watch it if you can, it is on Netflix). Yet, it is also true that these technologies have opened new doors for evil into our lives. Students now have to deal with sex-ting, cyber-bullying, and Internet pornography. Professors have to deal with a whole new level of plagiarism, while the FBI faces new threats as ISIS uses social media outlets to mobilize sympathizers in terrorist attacks. As a father and as a pastor I must teach families to use these technologies with the right balance, encouraging them to use discernment in order to avoid being either naïve or legalistic. As a father, I must follow the example of King Solomon, who taught his sons to avoid sexual immorality by warning them about the tactics of the adulterous woman as well as the fatal outcome of falling into her trap. It is true that I may not be able to completely protect people from the evil potential of the media, but I can help them develop a discerning mind, so they may avoid falling into its trap.
Secondly, as I lead Ethnos Bible Church I must learn how to take advantage of the communication technologies to further God’s interests in the world. In this aspect, I must learn from the English engineer Tim Berners-Lee, who envisioned the World Wide Web in 1989. He sought to open the Internet to more people, as a “means of widening user opportunity.” (265). I will not be a good leader if I only focus on setting boundaries to limit the negative potential of the media. Rather, I must also learn to think creatively and seek innovation by discerning the good potential of the media. I must continue to ask the questions we have been asking with my church leaders for the past years, “How can we influence more people? And how can we influence more people to influence more people?” Answering these questions demands a constant creative interaction with the media forces that shape the way people communicate.
Finally, in order to lead effectively, I must understand that communication technologies are constantly evolving, therefore I must have a flexible attitude that is constantly adapting to the changing nature of the media. I have learned this unexpected lesson from a recent experience, and reading Briggs and Burke brought this lesson to mind. Last year, when we started developing our church website, we were designing it from the perspective of surfing the Internet from a desktop computer. Yet, just in the past year a new shift has taken place—now the primary access to the Internet is through cellphones and mobile devices. Thus, our website team had to re-think some of the very designs we spent so much time creating. Flexibility may imply that we have to invest more money or time than originally envisioned, or that we may have to throw away an idea that we had initially loved. Consequently, this flexibility in leadership can only be built on humility—accepting the fact that we cannot always foresee the changes that will soon take place.
If I want to serve as an effective leader—as one who influences people in order to pursue God’s interests in the world—I must understand the nature and power of the media. I must engage with it critically, innovatively, and with flexibility. Even though the core message that I proclaim as God’s servant may not change, the means of communicating it will. Because, after all, as Marshall McLuhan said, “the medium is the message.” (10) You can call me forgetful, but this is one more thing I hope to never forget.
About the Author
Pablo Morales
Pablo Morales serves as the Lead Pastor of Ethnos Bible Church in Texas. He is currently pursuing the Doctor of Ministry degree in Leadership and Global Perspectives at Portland Seminary in order to understand what it takes to develop a healthy multiethnic church.8 responses to “Do You Remember?”
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Pablo,
With the design of our church’s most recent web site we ran into the same issue regarding phone access for web searches. Fortunately the designer we hired was ahead of us on that one and designed the web page from the outset to be phone-friendly.
Now, with what you have written about “keeping up” with media, what about a retired fossil such as myself? Do I need to keep up? Since I’m not in that main stream, how do I best do that?
Marc,
You got to keep up! You have a grand daughter! (:
Seriously, technology changes so fast that it is inevitable to be behind. In my case, I did not have a FB page until I started the DMin. I must confess that I was resistant to the idea of getting one (do I sound like a fossil?). Yet, I’m glad I got it. I imagine that by staying in touch with people (and grand kids) you will start naturally learning about the new technologies that are shaping the way people communicate. Then, you’ll be able to decide what to use and what to pass. By the way, you are not a fossil-yet. (:
Thanks Pablo
Part of our reality is that we see our granddaughter more on her mom’s facebook postings than in person. I wish that were different.
Pablo,
Great blog! I loved your visuals, they brought back lots of memories! At the end your blog you quoted “the medium is the message.” I may be misunderstanding, but you believe the method is sacred or just the message?
Aaron
Aaron, it was fun looking for pictures of old technology. All of the items are outdated now, even though they were the coolest thing to have when they first came out. That reminds me of the Apostle John’s words, “the world and its desires passes away….”-just temporary stuff.
You asked, “I may be misunderstanding, but you believe the method is sacred or just the message?” I believe the message is sacred; the method is not. Both elements have such a tight relationship that we have to be willing to adjust to the evolving nature of communication technologies to ensure that the message is being communicated effectively. That’s why Marshall McLuhan’s quote is so insightful. “The means is the message” (even though technically speaking they are different), because the way in which the message is communicated will affect the way the message is perceived. Consequently, let’s keep the message but let’s be willing to change the means.
Thanks for asking!
Pablo:
Great blog as you led us through “history” of our lives and the evolving media culture that we have lived through. Your analogy of website to handheld is so true.
Why is it that the church seemingly challenges innovation even if allows the message to propagated at a higher level? Briggs and Burke outlines the challenges that have taken place with media advances from approximately the 1400’s. Those challenges were found in both secular and ecclesiastical environments.
At Ethnos what do you see as challenges in media? What do you see the possible next media possibility will be for the church?
Phil
Phil,
Good questions!
You asked, “At Ethnos what do you see as challenges in media?” There are a few constant challenges:
(1) How to incorporate translation from English into Spanish in our songs or in our sermons, and figure out how this element will work when we expand into new languages.
(2) Learning the art of using a good balance of videos or pictures in the worship and sermons.
(3) Developing a website that is highly functional yet attractive for both desktop and mobile devices.
Yet, perhaps one more complex undergoing challenge that is common for all churches is to discern what is appropriate and what is not. This is challenging because we normally get used to one way of doing things so the line between message and means becomes blurred. For instance, what is appropriate? Should I preach with (a) a Bible in hand or (b) with an iPad in hand or (c) with nothing in my hands but only with the text displayed in the powerpoint. Should we encourage people to use a printed Bible or embrace the digital Bible on their phones or iPads? As it turns out, at Ethnos we are pretty relax on these things, so we do not get stuck in “one way” of doing things. So, I chose option (c) when I preach. I put all the text I will use on the screen, highlight sections that I want to emphasize, and simply read the text from the back screen as I preach. Many times decisions like these can be complicated because we have a hard time separating what is sacred (the message) from what is not (the means).
You also asked, “What do you see the possible next media possibility will be for the church?” I believe the next big possibility is to expand our ability to explain the gospel, disciple, and equip through internet technologies. We are currently using FaceTime to connect people in different locations to attend our Spanish Bible Study. We are also using Skype to do a discipleship session in China. So, through these experiences we are now asking (and wondering) how we can best maximize this potential to reach people in other locations. The possibilities are incredible!
If you have more experience in this area with your church, I would love to learn from your insights. Thank you for your interest!
Pablo,
Great memories as I read your post. Growing up in Jamaica, I remember going to my neighbor’s house to make a phone call. They eventually used it as a money making mechanism because they would charge a fee just for the convenience. I also remember the days of waiting at the public phone and telling people that I was expecting an oversees call so they couldn’t stay long. The point is this, we need to stop trying to decide if the evolution of technology is good or bad and live in the moment. Let’s say we decide it’s bad, does that mean we won’t relate to those who use it? Of course not…technology represents communication. Our primary focus should be…why we communicate. The answer to why we communicate will determine whether it’s good or bad for us. I’m not sure if I’d use a selfie-stick if I’m preaching but if that works for you…by all means go for it. Great insights from your post.
Garfield