Monday, October 21, 2013

I Guess I Just Got with the Program

Earlier this year I had the honor of being involved in the ordination of my good friend, Doug Widger.  If your not familiar with that rite, at one point other ministers present have the opportunity to lay hands on the new pastor and share an appropriate scripture.  As I stood waiting my turn I noticed that I was the only one holding a Bible.  The others were using various electronic devices to reference their verses.  Some had smart phones, others were using a tablet, I-pad or electronic reader. If I needed a nudge to get with the program, God provided it.  My Bible slipped from my hands and landed on the communion rail.  At that point I vowed to join the electronic revolution. I soon added a scripture app to my I-phone.  I also have a Bible available on my Kindle.  I still marvel at the convenience.  I no longer carry a Bible when I make my chaplain rounds.  I just pull up an appropriate verse on my smart phone.  Nobody has complained. I still believe it is God's inspired Word, even if the format has changed.  During Bible study I continue to use my trusted Thompson's Chain Reference NIV Bible, but I also use my phone to pull up other translations and paraphrases.  By the way, my Bible app also has two commentaries and a Bible dictionary.  Talk about convenience.

Evidently, I am not alone.  A report I read last week from The Barna Group indicated that over 70% of practicing Christians now read the Bible electronically.  Obviously, millennials are leading the way.  Even 35% of non-believing young adults read the Bible and seek information on spiritual issues electronically.  Amazing the transition in such a short period of time.  I will admit that initially I felt a little outside of my comfort zone, but I've gotten over it.  By the way, times have changed in other ways.  I wrote the first draft of this blog on my laptop, while awaiting my flight at DFW Airport.  Even more amazing: I am posting while working at a Starbucks a thousand miles away from home in suburban Detroit.  I could not have done that twenty years ago.

At times it is difficult for me as an adult to adjust to the pace of this modern electronic world, but then I think of what an wonderful gift it is.  We are not only able to read the Bible in various ways, but also share the Gospel message via social media.  Just think what Jesus could have done had he come in such a time as this.  No wait: He put us in this world to do it for Him.

Monday, October 14, 2013

Forgiving the Sins of our Youth, and Theirs

I made some pretty poor choices during my high school and college days.  I don't plan on ever running for public office because, I don't want people checking into my past.  It's probably a good thing I live in Texas, a thousand miles away from where I grew up.  As far as I know, there are no witnesses to my to my teenage indiscretions in the general vicinity.  Somewhere there are people who could provide some pretty sordid details.  I have always felt it was some of those poor decisions and the consequences that have helped me identify with teens.  My goal always has been to help kids make smart choices. 

I thought about the sins of my youth last week when I read about Christy Deweese.  Christy is the Dallas teacher who's job is in jeopardy because of a choice she made during her college years.  Christy worked part-time as a model.  In that role she  was selected as Co-Ed of the Month by Playboy Magazine.  She earned her degree and now is a Spanish teacher at Townview Middle School.  When her Playboy spread became public, some called for her firing.  Parents and students alike are coming to her defense saying she is a good teacher who cares about her students.  Those calling for her firing point to the fact that the students have found pictures of Ms. Deweese on the Internet.  You can imagine that they are the topic of conversation among the students, especially the boys. 

OK, I would feel a little uncomfortable if one of her students was my son or grandson.  I would prefer they learn Spanish and not human anatomy from her. Still, if she is a competent teacher I think we need to view this as a teachable moment for everyone involved.  It's an opportunity to talk about how our decisions have consequences.  It also should cause us to reflect on how we practice grace and forgiveness in our lives.   I am not sure of the level of contrition when it comes to Christy Deweese, but I am aware of countless people who cross my path everyday who carry the burden of past mistakes.  They continue to be haunted by the memories of past decisions and their negative consequences.  My calling is to help them learn from their past, to heal and move forward.  The past determines where we are today, but has no bearing on where the future might take them. 

Monday, October 7, 2013

Millennials Show Little Interest in the News

It was a casual comment, but I  soon realized the young cashier had no idea what I was talking about.  She was clueless to what was happening in the news.  I had little cash in my wallet and had handed her my credit card to pay for a relatively small purchase.  I made a remark about promising not to run up a credit card debt.  "I don't want to end up a trillion dollars in debt like the government," I continued.  She seemed puzzled.  "That is part of the reason the government is shutdown.  It's not only about Obama Care," I continued.  It was then I realize, she really was out of touch with what was going in the world outside her little sphere.  Our national debt and the affordable health care act were not even on her radar.

She is part of a generation that pretty much ignores the news.  Most millennials don't read newspapers.  They don't watch the news on TV either.  Diane Sawyer?  Scott Pelley?  Wolf Blitzer could be an outside linebacker in the NFL for all they know (that would be a pretty cool name for a sack leader).  Those under the age of thirty tend to be a rather self-absorb generation.  Unless the events of the world knock on their door, they hardly notice.  In the midst of a government shutdown and budget crisis, life goes on inside their personal bubble. 

Before writing this article I visited mashable.com, one of the more popular websites frequented by teens and young adults.  The website offers an overview of culture and the news from a millennial perspective.  There was no mention of the governmental shutdown on the homepage.  I found "nation and world" on the menu and clicked it.  The lead news story was on the FBI bust of the Silk Road online drug marketplace.  Then I found it, a secondary story on how "The Shutdown Won't Stop NASA's Curiosity Rover."  That was it.

I grew up reading the newspaper and watching television news.  Walter Cronkite was one of my heroes.  While in high school I got up at 5:00 AM every morning to deliver the Detroit Free Press.  I still read two newspapers each day.  I have several other national dailies delivered to my i-phone.  I usually glance at those to gain additional insights. 

It does bother me that we have a younger generation that seems to be disinterested when it comes to matter outside their personal world.  I have decided that the best way to counteract their lack of interest is to be a more responsible citizen myself.  When the opportunity arise, I will engage others in a conversation of the topics of the day.  My hope is that somewhere along the line some young folks will join in, or at least realize that what happens outside their little world does effect them and the rest of us.