FIVE POST-ELECTION THOUGHTS

TITLE: FIVE POST-ELECTION THOUGHTS
SCRIPTURE: 1 Tim 2:1-4
Written by: Dr Conrade Yap
Date: Nov 10th, 2016

1I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— 2for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. 3This is good, and pleases God our Savior, 4who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. - (1 Tim 2:1-4)

For many people, the unthinkable happened. If Murphy was alive, he would have repeated with an i-told-you-so look: "Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong." For nearly half the population of America today, it has indeed gone wrong when their candidate failed to garner the required number of electoral votes to win.

On January 20th, 2017, the controversial and straight-talk tycoon, Donald Trump will become the next President of the United States. In a result that took many people by surprise, it was the Democrat supporters, the widely leftist media and pollsters who had to flee with their tails between their legs. Even today, some are still scratching their heads wondering what happened. Others blamed it on the complacency of the Democratic establishment while some analysts said many Democrat supporters stayed home and did not vote. Those who could not accept the result took to the streets and protested the outcome. I watched the media and saw a 180-degree turnaround in their reporting. All their predictions were wrong. Instead of Clinton winning by a huge margin, it was Trump who took in the majority of the electoral votes. Instead of the former First Lady and experienced bureaucrat sweeping into power, it was a boisterous and shrewd reality-TV personality receiving the prize. News agencies and reporters continued to analyze the results and the reasons. Some blamed, others shamed. Many people continued to talk about what happened on Nov 8th, 2016 where America elected her new President. Some people might want some guidance with regard to this event. Let me then offer five post-election thoughts.

A New Form of PTSD

TITLE: A NEW FORM OF PTSD
SCRIPTURE: Galatians 5:13-15
Written by: Dr Conrade Yap
Date: August 2nd, 2014

13You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh ; rather, serve one another humbly in love. 14For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” 15If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other. (Galatians 5:13-15)

Yesterday morning, a social media giant was down. For a few hours, Facebook users encountered frustrating times when trying to log into their accounts. "Sorry, something went wrong" has become the bane of many people. For some, they continue to try "facebook.com" in the hope that maybe the problem was their own Internet connection. For others, they fled to the other social media titan "Twitter" to update their statuses. I was one of the latter ,who used Twitter to check on the status of Facebook. Ironically isn't it? Welcome to a new way of using Company A to check on Company B!

I marvel at the many messages due to this outage. Messages like:

(Picture Credit: @_youhadonejob)

• [Ash@Infamous_PR] "It's official, society has finally lost it! Facebook goes down for 19 mins & FB users act like the world is going to end!#facebookdown" 
• [Bizarre Lazar @BizarLazar] "Facebook went down this morning, marking the first time in five years some people actually saw their family."
• People dialing 911 over Facebook outage (link)
• and many more that puts sarcasm over those who panicked over the whole situation....

One user tweeted the following picture (on the right) that pokes fun at the whole thing. I shared my own tweets too under my Twitter handle @yapdates.

• "Facebook down. Life goes back to normal." (link)
• "Facebook is down. That may be a good thing for our real social life." (link)
• "There's a new PTSD in town. Post-Traumatic SocialMedia Disorder." (link)

I moved from laughter (lol) toward sighs of incredulity (*facepalm*) as I watch how a Facebook outage appears like an end-of-the-world scenario. What has the world become? Calling an emergency hotline (911) just because one cannot post anything on Facebook?

Welcome to a new version of PTSD: Post-Traumatic SocialMedia Disorder

Should I Cut My Cable TV?

TITLE: SHOULD I CUT MY CABLE TV?

Written by: Dr Conrade Yap
Date: August 9th, 2013

There was a time when TV is a must-have in every household. For some, having two or more television sets at home is common. There will be one for the family room, another for the parents' room, and even in children's rooms. For those who spend a lot of time in the kitchen, sometimes, they will even have a small LCD monitor conveniently installed at the side wall so that they can cook and watch TV at the same time. Now, the ubiquitous television set is under threat. Thanks no less to the growing popularity of the Internet. According to news reports, 1 out of 6 Canadians have already cut the cable cord, preferring the web over the traditional TV. It is the younger and more web-savvy users who are refusing to pay for TV, opting for a fully wireless Internet option. After all, many have said that since they are not watching TV as much so why not simply do away with it? From a cost standpoint, I understand. From a convenience standpoint, I concur. Yet, I am reminded too that although cutting the cable may mean saving some money, there are other more subtle repercussions which we ought to take careful note of. I will mention just three of them for now.

1) Threat of the Internet Cannibalising the TV and Phone 

Like many families, my home has a phone line, a cabled television set, as well as Internet.  Of all the three facilities, the one that is used most is the Internet. Gone are the days where we need to dial up a phone number with a modem in order to connect to the Internet. Not only that, the connectivity is slow and buggy, with download speeds that crawl and make it a challenge to download big files. Waiting is something most people have gotten used to.

Not anymore.

With the rise of networking technology and faster wide area networks, service providers have pampered consumers with high speeds that are up to 250Mbps (Mega bits per second) or roughly speaking, about 31MB per second speed. In some places, you can get even higher. With such high speeds, it is possible to use VOIP features, a voice over IP telephony features using the Internet. They not only cost a fraction of the traditional phone prices, sometimes, if one uses Skype-to-Skype or FaceTime to Facetime, or other equivalent applications, the telephone call is free anywhere in the world, with an Internet connection. It is possible to remove your traditional telephone totally and to replace it completely with an Internet telephone. All it takes is some special equipment to be installed, usually at a small fee. The weak link is this. The moment the Internet connection is lost, so too the telephone connection. This problem can be circumvented with the use of mobile phones, which is the other threat to the conventional telephone. Friends of mine have increasingly migrated from a land-line phone to a mobile phone. They prefer a phone where they are easily reachable. At the same time, if the home phone is not used as much, why pay more?

Also gone are the days where we have to stay up for a particular time on a particular day to watch a specific TV program. With many popular TV episodes increasingly on the web, consumers can pick and choose a time and place at their own convenience to watch the episode. Just wait until the episode has been screened by the TV provider, and within a few days, the episode can be streamed to our Internet devices anytime. Just like if we miss a Sunday sermon, we can always go to the Church website and download or stream the sermon when we have the time. Of course, this assumes that your Church has a website and people who will faithfully upload sermon material on the web. Must one go to Church faithfully in order to listen to sermons only? Not anymore.

The Internet has not only cannibalized the conventional phone and the ubiquitous TV and cable, it has changed cultural norms and social behaviour. This is my greater concern, which incidentally, is the guiding thought to help answer the question: "Should I cut my TV Cord?"

2) Threat of Individualism

Years ago, I remember a new theological institution being built. Someone close to the developments complained to me saying that he disagreed with the idea of having a network connection in every room. He said with the ease of network connectivity and the convenience of not having to leave the hostel room altogether, will that not increase the level of individualistic behaviour? I understood precisely where he is coming from. During my early Gordon-Conwell days, the wireless Internet is only available at the main halls. Thus, students who want to do their emails or Internet surfing have to leave their comfortable rooms and to go to the lounge. There, I see familiar faces, and we often chatted before and after meals. After dinner, we hang out together, and for those who need to rush out a paper, we can see them quietly at the next table working away. We even play table tennis together after a hearty meal! The desire to use the Internet can bring people together. In my final year at Gordon-Conwell, the Internet connectivity has improved by leaps and bounds. Not only is the wireless signals stronger in the common lounge, it is also readily available in every room in my block! Thus, there is no more need to head for the lounge to read one's emails. There is no more need to look for a space in the lounge sofa to surf the net. There is no need to get out of our rooms. I notice the change in social behaviour.

People stay more in their rooms and less in the common areas. People huddle inside their own Internet world, oblivious to the outside world. Even theological students behave like that. Individualism has arrived in a new way, through the ubiquitous Internet connection. Individualism stands out as the key cultural phenomenon of our modern age. Drive on the roads, and you see how easily irritated other drivers are when you want to switch lanes, especially into their lanes. Societies with people caring only for themselves are not nice places to live in. For with individualism comes the acts of selfishness, pride, and self-centered deeds. That is one reason why it is increasingly difficult to get people to agree, and to work on common goals. Individualistic people tend to prefer their own ways over all other ways. So much so that the sociologist Wade Clark Roof has commented on the individual empowering oneself even above God!

"The real story of American religious life in this half-century is the rise of a new sovereign self that defines and sets limits on the very meaning of the divine." (Wade Clark Roof cited in Nancy Pearcey. Total Truth: Liberating Christianity from Its Cultural Captivity, Wheaton, Ill, Crossway Books, 2008, p293)

Back in the 60s, there was a popular song by Lobo called, "Me and You and a Dog Named Boo," which talked about a carefree lifestyle and a culture of doing whatever one sees fit. Life revolved around the lover and the beloved, with a pet dog named Boo. In such a condition, nothing else really mattered. Likewise, fast forward to contemporary times, with everyone having their own laptops, their own cell-phones, their own iPods, and tablet devices, people are comfortable about living alone, with "I and Me with a technology named Internet."

3) Threat of Reduced Bonding Time

With the rise of individualism comes the fall of community concerns. People who are deep in their own problems will find it very difficult to put themselves in the shoes of another. They fear that if they venture out to help others, will there be anyone who will help them? Such a mood arises out of that state of individualistic concerns that will only give when one can get something back in return. That kind of giving is not true giving, for true giving is being able to give without expecting anything in return.

If there is one thing that is most Christian, it is the ability to give, and give, and give. I will also include "forgive" among the giving disposition. Giving up one's individual concerns in order to spend time on other people is a human being at his highest level of virtue. Sometimes I wonder. Why are we so used to accepting people's "I'm busy" comment as an excuse to decline invitation, miss schedules, or to simply stop hanging out altogether. Of course we have become too busy. We have become too busy because the 'me' has become bigger than the WE. The 'I' is more important than the group. For spending time with 'myself' has become so important that other people matters less.

In my household, I turn off the Internet about two hours each day. When that happens, I notice how my kids behave. They start coming out of their rooms. They stop staring at the computers. They begin to play musical instruments. They begin to do other things non-Internet related. They start to hang out together with the rest of the family in front of the TV. Once the Internet connectivity stops, human community begins.

4) Final Comments

Take time to smell the flowers.

When I think about the meaning of living together, individualism is a direct threat to community life. While there is Internet and social media that are fast becoming the common staple of daily living, we must beware of the underlying dangers of weakening social cohesion and community spirit. Whatever weakens community, whatever threatens the fabric of family life, whatever things that prevent us from becoming more neighbourly to one another, we must take action. The Internet may be here to stay, but we can surely take action to prevent it from unraveling our most important relationships.

This comes back to the point of learning to take a Sabbath. Try doing that for technology. Once a week, or for a few hours a day, take a break away from the computer, away from the Internet, away from constant checking of Facebook or emails. Walk to the garden. Smell the flowers. Say hi to your neighbours. Walk instead of drive. Observe the blooming life around us. Then, and gradually, we will realize that life is bigger than our Internet connection.

Seeing how my kids come together during non-Internet hours is reason enough for me to renew my TV/cable subscription.

THOUGHT: "A world without a Sabbath would be like a man without a smile, like a summer without flowers, and like a homestead without a garden. It is the joyous day of the whole week." (Henry Ward Beecher)

sabbathwalk

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Copyright by SabbathWalk. This devotional is sent to you free of charge. If you feel blessed or ministered to by SabbathWalk weekly devotionals, feel free to forward to friends, or to invite them to subscribe online at http://blog.sabbathwalk.org . You can also send me an email at cyap@sabbathwalk.org for comments or enquiries. Note that views expressed are personal opinions of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of any organization.

Learning Patience In A Hyper-Culture World

TITLE: LEARNING PATIENCE IN A HYPER-CULTURE WORLD
SCRIPTURE: Colossians 3:12
Written by: Dr Conrade Yap
Date: June 13th, 2013

"Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. (Colossians 3:12)

Have you noticed how your teen has become more easily bored? Even with the latest apps or technological gadget, not only are they less easily satisfied, they are also more ready to jump from one latest-and-greatest thing to the next even greater and even later thing. Welcome to the new world. A world in which people are increasingly overstimulated on their visual senses, that they are demanding things faster, more sensational, and more dramatic. One example is the movie. In the 60s, acts of violence are pretty much a slap on the backhand compared to what we are seeing nowadays. Previously, violence is about cowboys in a gunfight with Indians, or people engaged in fist fighting, etc. Nowadays, the violence on TV and the movies show gruesome images of heads blown off, bodies smashed up, and whole groups blown up with a horrific terrorist attack. I find sci-fi movies like "Starship Troopers" particularly difficult to watch. In the film, the director is quite liberal in the showing of human soldiers being literally ripped apart by alien insects. Video games are also increasingly more violent and visually bloody. "Common Sense Media" has listed the Top 10 most violent video games here. One does not simply fire a round of bullets. The player has in his possession, digital arsenal from bombs to splattering cannons, missiles and ferocious knives, anything to enhance the pleasure of killing the enemy. It seems like winning is not the only objective. Annihilation is. 

This week, I will reflect on the plight of an over-stimulated, hyper-saturated, and quick-gratification culture.

A) The Narcotic of Sensationalism

You see them everywhere. At the supermarket tills, at the convenience store, or at newstands all over the city. Sensational news reporting is here to stay simply because people are quickly and easily attracted by them. Sensational headings sell. Many of the biggest culprits are tabloids that substitute the ordinary with the sensational, making something bigger than what they actually are, just like plastic and cosmetic surgery on the face.  The purpose of the sensational headlines is to sell more papers. The problem is, it works. On the internet front, modern news websites entice people to click with engaging titles that deal with sexual scandals, death defying acts, violence and gore, out of this world headings, etc.  I have fallen victim to some of these attractive ads as well, some knowingly while others unknowingly.  For example, on AOL Mail, each time one logs out of his account, he will be automatically sent to a AOL front page containing multiple news sources from A to Z, from business news to sports, from celebrity gossip to weird happenings around the world.

Snapshot of aol.com (June 13th, 2013) (Credit: AOL)

Just take a look at the snapshot in the picture above. Sex sells. Beautiful women and large busts too. Even adding in some juicy stuff to an ordinary thing and you get additional clicks to please your advertising friends. With social media like YouTube and Facebook, sharing "Fear Factor" or "You Must Watch This" videos is so easy and convenient.

There is a friend I know who likes to post sensational videos on social media. He posts it so much that I begin to wonder whether he is addicted to such stuff. I call this the narcotic of sensationalism. Such a drug basically numbs us from feeling anything much about the ordinary. No longer is one satisfied with plain words. One needs pictures. One looks for multimedia offerings. One prefers stuff that goes straight into the bloodstream of hyper expectations. One expectation then leads to a higher expectation. One bullet is not enough. One expects a stream of bullets. In the movies, one missile is too gentle. One needs a ballistic missile that splits into multiple intelligent heat seeking devices that not just blow up, but wipe out entire cities. Hit TV series like 24 is another example of how violence becomes more and more pronounced with each season. I shudder when I watch how the hero Jack Bauer is able to take more hits to his physical body, and how the enemy is able to come up with more and more out-of-this-world feats.

With viral videos increasingly being linked to profits, Youtube currently hosts many videos that makes sensation the staple diet of many, relegating the ordinary pretty much to the sidelines, to be the exception rather than the norm. My concern is this. Are we becoming so hyper-saturated that our learning has become dependent on such narcotic of sensationalism?

B) The Death of Patience

The problem with sensationalism is this. It window dresses the ordinary with artificial stuff. The second problem is, it leads to the demise of patience. One popular quip marketed by certain medical professionals is this: "Be patient, not a patient." Having dealt with many cases of people speeding or driving recklessly, causing accidents along the way, they advise motorists to exercise a bit more patience on the roads. This is simply because many of these road accidents could have been easily avoided if people are a little more patient. That way, it reduces the number of patients that hospital staff have to deal with each day. My medical friends tell me that weekends are notorious for drunk driving incidents and road accidents.

I remember driving along the highway, observing the speed limit as best as I can. Along comes a speeding car quite a distance away behind from me. The driver swerves from lane to lane and finally tailgates me with flashing lights. It seems like he cannot wait for me to change lanes, and so he moves dangerously in and out the other lanes in spite of the lack of safety distance among the various vehicles. His action causes many other drivers to tap their brakes. You can tell that one act of recklessness leads to many drivers getting worked up and irritated. One bad thing leads to another.

Another case was that of an impatient driver waiting for a parking lot. For some reason, something made the driver very angry and he decided to do a speed reverse without much thought. As a result, he smashed at another vehicle that had just entered the car park. Society has a big problem with impatience.

C) Patience and Wisdom

The Great theologian Augustine of Hippo once said, "Patience is the companion of wisdom." Not only that, Jesus says in Luke 21 about the trials and tribulations that will come in the last days. Being able to wait upon the Lord's perfect timing is not only a virtue, it is survival too.

"In your patience possess ye your souls." (Luke 21:19, KJV)

What has patience got to do with wisdom? I believe there is something to do with time as well as the way that we are created. Life is not simply about listening. It is about intentional listening for things that truly matter. Recently, I watched a closing scene of the hit series "Castle." The current series had the two stars, Kate and Castle having a dating relationship. At the end of one episode, after cracking a difficult case, Kate asked Castle the question: "Castle, where are we going?"

Thinking that Kate was asking about what activity to do next, Castle proudly introduced his willingness to do a full body massage for his beloved Kate. If only Castle had listened more carefully at what Kate was asking. Like many women, Kate wanted to know what the future of their relationship is going to be. Will it be a just-friends relationship? Will it be leading to marriage? Where actually is their relationship going?

Unfortunately, Castle amid his cheeky smile missed everything by a huge mile. He had rushed too quickly to see things from his own perspective, that he had missed seeing things from Kate's perspective. We have a lot to learn when it comes to living as a responsible member of the community. Part of the problem in our culture is that we have replaced the important things with the less important stuff. Rabbi Harold Kushner writes with great insight about the purpose of life:

"The purpose of life is not to win. The purpose of life is to grow and to share. When you come to look back on all that you have done in life, you will get more satisfaction from the pleasure you have brought into other people's lives than you will from the times that you outdid and defeated them."

If in doubt, choose Community

We fail to practise patience enough because we have misunderstood life altogether, caring for ourselves instead of looking out for one another. Life is not about accumulating more and more possessions. It is about caring and sharing. It is about living for the sake of others. It is about looking out for one another. Instead of climbing up the ladder of independence, we need to be spending time building bridges of interdependence. For us in a hypersaturated world of sensationalism and quick-fixes, we need to pace ourselves by spending more time with one another. We need to learn inter-dependence and to cultivate the virtue of relying on community to help one another. Move away from the deceitfulness of self-reliance and independence. For if we fail to live as community, we are planting the seeds of loneliness. Patience can be cultivated when we live together, fight together, and learn together. Sensationalism paints over an artificial veil over human beings. Community living through patience and goodwill removes the artificiality and encourages authenticity.

Patience is a virtue. With patience, we are not easily enticed by the worldly and the sensational tabloid style reporting. We do not need to catch up frantically with the latest and the greatest. If we have patience, we will see less honking on the roads or reckless speeding. We see less heated tempers at carparks, and more livable lifestyle even in busy places. With patient listening, we see less misunderstanding in relationships and more communications and connections among loved ones. With patience, we cultivate a virtue that not only helps build bridges in communities, it pleases God.

If the future kingdom of God is likened to a garden, we will know that like gardening, relationships need time to build up. Patience is a virtue to help us do just that. So my friends, in a hypersaturated with of information and over-information, pause regularly. Take a step back. Smell the flowers. Turn off your internet. Notice your neighbourhood. Say "Hi" and pause to listen for conversation starters and bridge builders. That is how we grow to love a culture of neighbourliness.

THOUGHT: " Faith, and hope, and patience and all the strong, beautiful, vital forces of piety are withered and dead in a prayerless life. The life of the individual believer, his personal salvation, and personal Christian graces have their being, bloom, and fruitage in prayer." (E.M. Bounds)

sabbathwalk

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Copyright by SabbathWalk. This devotional is sent to you free of charge. If you feel blessed or ministered to by SabbathWalk weekly devotionals, feel free to forward to friends, or to invite them to subscribe online at http://blog.sabbathwalk.org . You can also send me an email at cyap@sabbathwalk.org for comments or enquiries. Note that views expressed are personal opinions of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of any organization.

Will Jesus Use Facebook?

TITLE: WILL JESUS USE FACEBOOK?
SCRIPTURE: Matthew 28:16-20
Written by: Conrade Yap
Date: 30 Mar 2012

Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matt 28:16-20)

There is one lingering question that is becoming more fascinating by the day. "Will Jesus use Facebook?" For Christians, this question typically triggers at least two kinds of responses. The first group deplores any technological association (branded the world) with a sacred figure. The second group embraces the use of anything as long as Christ is preached.  My reflection this week will touch on the impact of online media on society, with a particular interest in what it means as far as Christian witness is concerned.


A) Technological Luddites

In the 19th Century in the UK, due to the perceived threats of technology on their jobs, many workers revolted against factories that implemented modern machinery. Instigated by a person called General Ned  Ludd, a movement arose between 1811-1816 that emboldened ordinary wage earners against anything that threatened their livelihood, namely, technology innovations. Workers burned, broke, and banished the machinery in a widespread protest against technological devices. The term 'Luddism' is now used to describe people who sense a fear of the downside of technology and seek to fight against the use of certain technologies or engineering innovation. Such a fear reared its head again during the Industrial Revolution where machines increasingly dominate workplaces. I remember a time when my fellow workers were complaining about their duties being replaced by a robot. Sure enough. After a few quarters, the company laid off people in order to cut costs.

At the turn of the century, technology has appeared more frequently via a new name: The Internet. Like Newton's law, whenever there is a change, there will also be an equal and opposite reaction. Cultural critics like Neil Postman have since argued against the downsides of technology, saying that:

"Technology always has unforeseen consequences, and it is not always clear, at the beginning, who or what will win, and who or what will lose." (Neil Postman, in a speech here, given in Stuttgart)

Others like Sherry Turkle, a long time observer of human-machine interactions bemoans the way people are isolating themselves as they allow technology to get in the way. Nicholas Carr goes farther to warn people about how technologies like Google are changing our brains and the way we think and live. In an insightful book called The Shallows, Carr argues that as people praise the glories of modern technology and gadgets, many users tend to be blind to the side effects of technology.

"Our focus on a medium's content can blind us to these deep effects. We're too busy being dazzled or disturbed by the programming to notice what's going on inside our heads. In the end, we come to pretend that the technology itself doesn't matter. It's how we use it that matters, we tell ourselves." (Nicholas Carr, The Shallows, New York, NY: W W Norton, 2010, 3)

Not to be left behind, we have Kevin Kelly, in a provocative book, "What Technology Wants," that pushes the envelope even more, saying that the new technological world is not about what man wants from technology, but about what technology wants from people. On the pervasive use of smartphones, one contributor to the Economist appeals to us to remove our enslavement.

Neo-Luddites! You may accuse them.

B) On the Other Hand

Then there are those who champion technologies. The bookstores are full of those in praise of Google, the Internet and the use of technology. Just talk to any man in the street and you will realize that they spend more time connecting online than relating offline. Christians have also adopted the use of computer terminology in their writings. Neil Cole, a church planter even uses computer software versions to tell Church History. He calls the New Testament Church in the early centuries "Church 1.0." The 16th Century Reformation is called "Church 2.0," and our modern era represents the evolution of a new version called "Church 3.0!" Popular speakers Tami Heim and Toni Birdsong have combined their expertise to urge Christians to go online and to learn to share our faith in the Internet world. As I read their latest book, '@StickyJesus,' I get a feeling that the Great Commission can be read as:

".... Go ye therefore and make digital disciples of all online communities. . . ."

Acts 1:8 can be partially re-written as:

". . . . you will be my witnesses on Google, and in all Twitter and Facebook, and to the ends of the social media world."

Again, those are not their words. They are conjured up as a result of reading how passionate Heim and Birdsong have been. They argue:

"For you, a Christ follower, the discussion around technology and its impact for good cannot be left to chance. It's a conversation that must be an ongoing priority. It must become part of the writings, readings, and teachings that communicate faith to this and future generations. And if businesses, motivated by profitability and survival, continue to generate effective content marketing solutions and new ways to engage the public, the body of Christ should be alert - and teachable - to use those same strategies." (Toni Birdsong and Tami Heim, @StickyJesus, Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 2010, 7)

C) My Take

My personal reading of it all is that we need to learn to use technologies well, but also critically. We need to periodically take a step back and ponder why we are doing what we are doing. We need to pause to reflect upon the ways of social media, the pros and cons, and to draw the line often by saying:

"Social Media. You shall have no hold on my life."

I thank God for cultural critics like Postman, Turkle, Carr, and others. They help many of us who tend to use technological gadgets uncritically sit up and think. We are pressed with questions like:

• Is there a better way to communicate than using the Internet?
• How do I know if I am addicted to Facebook?
• Am I missing out opportunities offline when I am hooked online most of the time?
• Why do I need so many 'friends' on Facebook?
• Am I using social media, or is social media using me?

The human problem is not technological. The human problem is still sin. Before the rise of the Internet, parents worry about their kids spending too much time watching TV or playing games on the computer. Society gets worried about the drug problem or gang recruitment activities in their neighbourhood. Pornography was a big concern a number of years ago.

Not anymore. Now, people have shifted to social media, and we hear news of Internet predators posing as innocent 'friends' to try to manipulate young minds to meet them at a physical location. The threat is real. Policing the Internet is becoming more and more challenging as privacy structures become more sophisticated. Sin masquerades itself in any media, any platform, through any channel. Christian, beware!

D) Will Jesus use Facebook? 

As I read the gospels, I believe it is likely that Jesus will meet us where we are. Just like the Samaritan woman in John 4, Jesus meets her at the well at odd hours during the day. Like Zacchaeus, the despised tax collector in Luke 19, Jesus offers to meet him at his house. Like the lame man in John 5, Jesus sees him at the Sheep Gate in Bethesda. The interesting thing is that Jesus did not remain at the well. Neither did he stick around in the house of Zacchaeus. He did not linger all the time at the Sheep Gate in Bethesda. After the witnessing for God, and the demonstration of signs, Jesus moved on! Even if Jesus has a Facebook account, He will not linger around in cyberspace. Neither will he be hooked online so many hours that he fails to pray and seek God's face first thing each day.

Yes, Jesus if he is walking the streets today, he will not simply disregard the technological gadgets we have on our hands. Instead, he may be asking us what we are doing, or why are we Tweeting what we are tweeting, or writing stuff on Facebook.

What will you do, if Jesus asks you: "Will you be my friend?" Certainly, Jesus will not simply want to be a 'friend' on your lists of Facebook friends. He wants to be more. Much more.  Will you let Him? Will you lead others to Him? Let me close with the following set of tips from Birdsong and Heim, which I hope can help us be more intentional and godly in our social media interactions.

• "I am on my face before God before I get on Facebook and seek Him before I tweet.
  
• I ask for the Holy Spirit's guidance and discernment before I enter into social media platforms.
  
• I am deliberate about preparing my heart to go online and devoted to the larger, eternal mission.
  
• I am others-focused and enter online communities with a desire to serve.
  
• I am intentional about checking my heart for conceit, superiority, prejudice, and judgment.
  
• I am fully present to people when I engage.
  
• I acknowledge that God values every person I encounter online and that beating hearts are behind every picture and post.
  
• I choose to be digitally generous. I retweet, post comments to blogs, follow up on emails promptly, and help promote worthy causes online."

(Toni Birdsong and Tami Heim, @StickyJesus, Nashville, TN: Abingdon, 2010, 175)


THOUGHT: "It is questionable if all the mechanical inventions yet made have lightened the day's toil of any human being." (John Stuart Mill)


sabbathwalk

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Copyright by SabbathWalk. This devotional is sent to you free of charge. If you feel blessed or ministered to by SabbathWalk weekly devotionals, feel free to forward to friends, or to invite them to subscribe online at http://blog.sabbathwalk.org . You can also send me an email at cyap@sabbathwalk.org for comments or enquiries.

Parents, Are You eReady?

TITLE: Parents, Are You eReady?
SCRIPTURE: Ephesians 6:4
Written by: Conrade Yap
Date: 1 Feb 2012

"Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord." (Ephesians 6:4)

MAIN POINT: We raise teens in a Social Media world by first becoming eReady parents ourselves. A lack of understanding is a major cause of parents exasperating their children.

You have heard it all before. Statements that reference young people as being addicted to electronic games, computers, video gaming, and electronic gadgets. Now, we hear parents complaining about their teens getting hooked on social media such as Facebook, Twitter, and so on. Adults say that the children are wasting time on the Internet. Teens argue saying that it is the way of life for them. Adults insist on doing some kind of monitoring of their children's activities online. Teens say that the Internet is part of their whole education process. Adults assert the problem of distractions in the new e-media. Teens rebut by saying they are able to multitask very effectively. It is a familiar pattern. Parents push. Teens push back.

(Credit: stylex.ca)

The Internet has changed the world. The bludgeoning world of social media is set to change the world even more. As Facebook prepares to launch its first initial public offering, pundits are betting on how much the value of the company will be. According to ComputerWorld, Facebook may be one of the largest IPO in the history of the American stock market. With an estimated 800 million user accounts, Facebook is the face of the Internet today. Even the traditional stronghold of emails is being threatened. One European technology company, Atos,  has even eliminated emails, in favour of the new media such as social media. After all, it is easier to locate friends on Facebook than to search Google for them. Like it or not, social media is here to stay. The question is: "What are the implications for our relationships?"

This week, I want to suggest five ways that parents can adopt to connect with their teenagers. Every effort to connect is an act of love. Every effort not to connect breeds distrust. For parents, understanding our children is a major first step toward connecting well.

Zealous Marketing

TITLE: ZEALOUS MARKETING
SCRIPTURE: Ps 69:7-9
Written by: Conrade Yap

"for zeal for your house consumes me, and the insults of those who insult you fall on me." (Ps 69:7-9)

MAIN POINT: We may not share the same materialistic focus of marketers, but we can surely learn from the zeal they display, the creativity they possess, the passion they manifest, and the belief they have, in what they are selling or promoting. Why can't Christians have the same passion in the gospel?

Some of the most passionate people in the world are marketers. Driven by the need to distinguish themselves from others, businesses out-think, out-talk, and out-perform one another in order to stay ahead of the pack. The result is a bewildering spectrum of clever marketing techniques and programs that can attract most customers. It makes me wonder how society can continue to thrive every year by hawking the same stuff relentlessly.

Credit: islandsdesignsstudio.com

Last Thursday, millions of Americans around the world celebrated Thanksgiving, the biggest day of the year for American families. It is a day where families come together over a big meal, served with lots of good food plus the irresistible turkey. When I visited the Regent College library that evening, I noticed that the library seem more empty than usual. Folks from America had gone home. Even Canadians, who celebrated their Thanksgiving in the beginning of November were not to be left out. Some even drove down South, rented a hotel room, and queued up all night for the next big thing: Black Friday.

It made me wonder: If the gospel is life-giving, shouldn't there be more people queueing up all night to enter the worship hall?

A) Black-Eye Friday Sales

Black Friday is the day where many big retailers throughout the country offer their premium goods at below factory outlet prices. It is also a day where shoppers throng the stores, happy to snap up really hot deals. Even the venerable Apple retail stores that rarely budge on their product prices, offered attractive discounts to entice the Black Friday shopper. Unfortunately, the wonderful side of Thanksgiving on Thursday disappeared literally overnight by Friday. Happy shoppers became impatient as latecomers tried to cut into the long lines. The huge crowds created problems for security. While the mood at many places were generally upbeat, some turned nasty. At one Walmart in LA, an angry woman pepper-sprayed several shoppers in order to get ahead of the pack. It is common to see people shoving one another in order to grab boxes of toys, electronics, clothes, and anything they could lay their hands on. It is a crazy zoo. All it takes is a price drop, and consumers flock in by the hundreds.

B) Cyber-Monday Online Sale

Then, there is Cyber Monday, the first Monday after black Friday. In order to spread the Black Friday spirit of consumer excitement, many retailers introduce the idea of special deals in cyberspace. Cyber-Monday can be seen as a Black-Friday kind of sales with a difference: It is only available online. From Amazon to BestBuy, Sears to Target, retailers pack it in. There is even a newspaper article that warns office workers about the ethics of buying stuff during office hours. From the looks of the frenzied buying and crazed shopping activities, it is hard to tell that there is any recession at all!

All it takes is a prized discount, and online orders gushes in.

C) Christmas Sales

After the mad rush, shops are back to the Christmas sales track. Through the radio, the Internet, and social media networks, retailers promote sales in many creative ways. Through Twitter, Facebook, and modern technology sites like Groupon, retailers continue to entice the consumer to buy, buy, and buy. Living in the West basically means having to wrestle with all these materialistic and consumeristic messages. Turn on the TV or radio and there will be commercials. Open the newspapers and there will be special offers at every other page. Open up websites and there will be enticing displays of special deals available just for you. Even Youtube videos contain a rectangular window that promotes certain products and services.

There was a time where one can avoid spending simply by not going to the mall or the shop. Nowadays, it is the shops coming to us that seduces us to buy more stuff, even stuff we do not really need now. With consumers constantly on a lookout for bargains, all it takes is a special sales promotion, and the sales will rise.

D) Amazing Zeal

Do not misunderstand me. I am not promoting marketing in the church. We have all heard about the dangers of materialism, and the problems of consumerism. I am simply marveling at the creativity and the non-stop zeal these retailers and businesses continue to offer. Every deal challenges another to offer something different and better. Many price match. They give a straight discount if you are able to show them a better price. On top of that, they employ clever marketing techniques to differentiate themselves from others. I call these 'Amazing Zeal.'

If the retail industry can be so passionate and zealous about their products and services, why can't Christians be equally (or more) passionate and zealous about sharing Christ? This thought has been occupying my mind for the past few days. I think about the way retailers offer their best products at best prices. I wonder why the church is not offering their best behaviour and Christlike attitude to demonstrate the attractiveness of Jesus? I think about the brilliant strategies and tactics adopted by the marketers to try to get shoppers into their stores. I wonder what are churches doing to try to bring people closer to Christ? I think about the online presence of many retailers on the Internet. I wonder why are there so few churches engaging people on the new social media network.

E) Governments Cannot Limit Creativity

I admit. In many churches, members' zeal for Christ, pale in comparison to many retailers' zeal to sell their products and services.  Sad but true. We can hide behind the excuse that this is a 'secular' society. The problem is not the restriction in sharing Christ. The problem is the lack of creativity among Christians to exercise their freedom of speech and practice of religion. Sharing Christ cannot be determined by the do's and don'ts of any government.

• What is there to prevent Christians from showing acts of mercy, like Christ?
• What is there to prevent Christians from exhibiting patience, like Christ?
• What is there to stop Christians from giving generously to the needy, like Christ?
• What is there to stop Christians from proclaiming the good news, meaningfully, like Christ?

The answer is none. What we need is not the regulation or de-regulation of any evangelistic efforts. What we need is the creativity to share the mission of Christ through good works and gracious words. Expand our range of good works. Enhance our speech with good meaningful words that help. Most crucially, when our convictions in Christ grow, we will demonstrate the creativity and marketing genius that retailers commonly have. They sell their products for a financial gain. We share the good news for spiritual profit. They sell their goods to make ends meet. We share the good news to meet needs. They hawk their services to gain market share. We speak of Christ to let God share His Kingdom.

Lee Strobel tells a story of his encounter with an atheist. It begins when the atheist states up front that he believes the bible is 'fable.' Strobel probes and asks if he has a question. The atheist then raises his voice and states another phrase that discredits the Bible. Due to his aggressive manner, Strobel starts to match the atheist tone for tone, argument for argument. At one point, it appears as if these two men are about to come to blows. After nearly half an hour, the atheist smiles and says to Strobel:

"Thanks for being willing to argue with me. I really appreciate that you stood up for what you believe."

There are many non-Christians who are really open to knowing Christ. The problem is often not the message of Christ. It is the messenger. When the messengers of Christ shun away from debate, it is like waving a white flag even before the battle begins. When the messengers of Christ are weak in their beliefs, non-Christians see no reason to believe in a 'weak religion.' When the messengers of Christ lack zeal, non-Christians will not be attracted at all. They may even think that if they become a Christian and be afraid to share about Christ, they too will become weak people.

If you are lost on how to share Christ more effectively, maybe, we ought to learn a few tips or so from modern marketing.

Thought: "People who don't believe in missions have not read the New Testament. Right from the beginning Jesus said the field is the world. The early church took Him at His word and went East, West, North and South." (J. Howard Edington)

sabbathwalk

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Copyright by SabbathWalk. This devotional is sent to you free of charge. If you feel blessed or ministered to by SabbathWalk weekly devotionals, feel free to forward to friends, or to invite them to subscribe online at http://blog.sabbathwalk.org . You can also send me an email at cyap@sabbathwalk.org for comments or enquiries.

Healthy Online Neighbourliness

TITLE: Developing Healthy Online Communities
Written by: Conrade Yap
Date: 25 August 2011

“If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” (James 2:8)

It is a great time not being connected to the Internet world for a week. Time away from the busyness of life offers a wonderful opportunity to connect with people in other ways. We talk. We slow down. We pace ourselves with one another through friendly chats, and honest sharing. Without the distraction of the Internet, we see more of real faces instead of computer screens. We all need a technological Sabbath from time to time. It is an opportunity to say to technology in the face: “Thou shalt have no hold on me.”

Interestingly, when we travel, my kids will ask where they can get WiFi. Sigh. I am also guilty of it too. We can take technology away from our hands, but it is harder to take technology out of our minds. Thus, my week of technological Sabbath is only partially successful. We succumb to a periodic search for WiFi signals that are free or unlocked. It is like technology seducing us, “If you want me, search for me.”

For me, there are downsides to not being connected for a week. For example, I missed out on the HP Touchpad fire sale. Announced about three days ago, the highly revered computer company decided to clear its stockpile of unsold Touchpad tablets at an amazing price of $99 for its cheapest model. That is an 80% discount! Of course, at the magical price of $99, the Touchpad became an overnight bestseller. People sit up and pay attention when they smell a good deal. For me, having worked for HP before, it makes me kind of sad to see a good engineering product just snapped up by people looking for cheap deals. Mind you, the cost of manufacturing the HP Touchpad is way more than $99. Some estimates it to be a little more than $300 per tablet. In a consumerist society, the Internet is a great tool for checking out great deals. We just need to be careful of financial scams and frauds. In an age of scamming, spoofing, and spamming, it is getting more difficult to distinguish truth on the Internet. From being selected for a huge financial windfall, to wonderful offers for the Viagra pill, all kinds of trash are being distributed on the Internet every minute.

Since it is hard to run away from technology, try two things. First, embrace it cautiously. Second, be neighbourly when using it.

On Virtual Communities

TITLE: On Virtual Communities
Written by: Conrade Yap
DATE: 16 August 2011

"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." (Eph 6:12)

MAIN POINT: How social is social media? How can one build community in an online environment? Technologies may change. Not people. The same rules apply when building community. 

Times have changed. A few years ago, the words 'Facebook,' 'Twitter,' 'Google+,' and anything related to the words 'Social media'  are non-existent. Back then, we download emails on Microsoft Outlook or Mac OS Mail to read. We religiously observe limits on our dial-up Internet connection. We play Solitaire on computers. Starbucks means not just an expensive cup of coffee, but moments with dear friends.

Not anymore.

With wireless connectivity, unlimited Internet access, and increasingly portable computer devices, it is more common to see individuals on separate tables, more interested in typing electronic updates on their computers than them sipping lattes. Conversations are slowly been replaced with keyboard typing. People look down intently on their gadgets, sometimes oblivious to people around them. With a few clicks, they report themselves:

• "Hey! I'm now sipping Latte at ABC Shopping Centre."
• "That girl on the left outside McDonalds is gorgeous."
• "Feeling terrible. Need a holiday."
• "..."

Virtual cyberspace far away seems more interesting than the physical world near them. Perhaps, these people are building communities. A digital kind, that is. One that is short. Sweet. And techno-savvy. This week, I reflect on the impact of online communities, both positive and negative.