Is Listening to Hard?

Yesterday I put forth a theory that media may be a contributing factor to killing off the community of the church and society as a whole. Today I want to add to that theory: Has media created a society that doesn’t want to listen?

Specifically I want to address church. I have noticed that many kids are telling me that church is boring because they are just preached at and then they leave. When do they get to contribute? Church has largely been a model where one person spoke from the front in one way or another for the majority of its existence so why are kids saying this and not only kids but young adults and indeed… older adults as well? Has church really changed that much or has society changed that much?

I believe it is the latter. Media has created an idea that either you are being entertained with television or your social interaction is limited to 140 characters (let’s be honest, who reads longer FB posts than that in their entirety?) We have become a society that can skim and judge and put out our opinions with the touch of a screen. Everyone has something to contribute but no one cares about what other’s have to say. If it isn’t a meme or a photo, it’s not going to get nearly as many “likes” or “hits.” This is not conducive to active listening. In fact, the slew of media that are introduced to our young people at such a formative age does not train them to listen and that, I believe is contributing in a huge way to the decline of our culture in church.

So the question is, does the church change to fit the times and create a whole new model based on the idea of allowing everyone to contribute and no one to listen? Are Twitter churches in our future? Is personal community where we look in peoples eyes and listen to what they say and pray for an attitude of understanding during a service to hard to maintain in our Instagram world?

Twitter Mouth

I was glancing at Sports Center as my husband soaked in every little bit of “news” from the show and noticed a former coach turned Sports Center commentator who was giving a speech to some professional athletes. He was saying that the most evil thing that ever hit professional sports was…

…Twitter!

That right.

“Every time you have an injury, a career changing conversation, or an inflamitory thought, you are there typing it out with your thumbs. I need to make a button that says ‘DON’T SEND.’ You need to think twice before you hit ‘SEND,’ because the second you push that little button, du-na-na du-na-na (that’s the Sports Center news break sound), it’s out there. We’ve got it!”

That’s the thing about Facebook, Twitter and yes… even blogging. Whenever I have a thought, I start to write it down. My mother used to say, “Think before you speak.” That doesn’t quite seem to apply in the same way. More and more and more I’m having to edit myself when I WRITE/TYPE. I have to decide whether I want EVERYTHING out there or not. I’m not a professional athlete. I’m not famous in any way but simply because it’s the internet and anyone can read what I’m putting out there, I still have to consider: What am I sending this out into cyberspace for? Is it for dramatic effect? Is it to work through some issues? Will it hurt someone? Will it hurt me? Is that what I’m about? Is that what this blog is about?

These questions haunt all bloggers and chronic facebook updaters and tweeters.

So ask yourself – Are you reading twice before you tweet?

Project Blue

So, my theme for this week’s  Facebook  52 Week Photo Challenge was Blue. I started by photographing some of our blue goblets, and a blue ball of yarn. They weren’t bad ideas for my project, and they turned out pretty good. But I wanted something more.  Then I remembered I wanted to try something I saw in a MagBook. The picture I saw was a set of colored pencils submersed in sparkling water, which created a bubbly effect. After bouncing some ideas of my wife. I went to work. In keeping with my theme for the week, I selected various shades of blue colored pencils, and placed them in a Pyrex glass dish. I didn’t have any sparkling water, so I mixed tap water and ginger ale to create the desired effect. To keep the pencils from floating in the water, I filled a small Tupperware container with water and placed it on top of the pencils. Then I placed the glass dish onto a projector, which created some back lighting for the photo. I have to say this was the first time I have ever set up a photograph. I am so use to taking pictures of flowers, landscapes, and just candid photographs. It was a lot of fun. I just may have to do it again.

Blue Goblets in the Sun

Ball of Blue Yarn

Blue Pencils

Pine Cone & Frost

Purple Aster