My wife, a teacher at a local high school, was talking about the end of the school day. As students were making their way across the open campus after today’s final classes, she noticed a peculiar yet increasingly common phenomenon. From hidden recesses in backpacks or jackets came the small electronic devices, attached mostly to white cords inserted into the device as well as the ear canals of said students.
The MP3 phenomenon has indeed swept across the nation, children and adults alike basking in the aural bliss of their favorite tunes. Why, even this pastor and blogster enjoys his 8GB Apple iPod nano, the sleek black design fitting comfortably in any pocket. Movie soundtracks, classical-style music, trumpet and other instrumental selections, and audio performance tracks make up the bulk of my listening selections, and even as I type this entry, the player rests, comfortably attached to a clock-radio designed to both play and recharge the iPod.
I chuckled as my mind wandered back to my own days at the same school at which my wife is now employed. I imagined what life would have been like if this technology had existed in those not-so-long-ago days when CDs were all the rage, and almost everyone you talked to still knew what a record or an 8-track actually was.
I exited my recliner and moved to the refrigerator, grabbing a quick glass of orange juice, when a recent experience leapt to mind. Last week I was listening to my player as I changed the movable-letter message board in front of my church when I felt a tingle at the base of my left ear. “A stray insect, perhaps; an errant whisker poking the lobe,” I said to myself, scratching my ear, the sensation still barely apparent.
Getting the new letters for the new message organized, I returned outside, when suddenly the feeling returned, this time much more intense, enough to make me grab my ear out of sheer reflex. At that moment I knew it was not a bug, but electric shock. Granted, the MP3 player was not generating vast amounts of power, but it was still enough to cause a tingle that when I think about it now, I still feel it. Needless to say, I will be ordering some new ear buds. Unless . . .
Here’s my theory. The MP3 player industry may not be for entertainment value alone. It may be some government method of mind control. My experience with the mild electric shock could have been an opening salvo, perhaps a test run or a glitch in the system prior to its widespread launch. Or maybe I’m totally off base.
My point here (and yes, I have a point, even though it really has nothing to do with all I’ve said) is that we have a great fixation on things, and spend much of our idle time merely idling through life. For all the millions of music and entertainment devices out there in our homes, schools and places of recreation, there are millions of people who need to hear the message of Jesus.
As I thought of those students gladly meeting the end of their day, celebrating by listening to some “groovy tunes,” and as I thought of them sticking those little ear bud speakers into their ears as I have done countless times myself (at least until the short circuit in the wiring), I wondered, “How many of those kids have had the Gospel placed into their ears? Compared to the number of times they’ve listen to their music players, how many times have they heard the message that Jesus really does love and care about them?”
Our technology has become something we just can’t live without anymore. We gripe and complain about them, but when the computers don’t work or the batteries run down, we’re almost at a loss for what to do. If we as Christians were half as faithful as these little electronic conveniences we have, how many people’s lives could be changed for the better? How many souls would be touched, how many people encouraged and given hope?
Tonight when I go to bed I will fulfill my nightly ritual: a chapter of reading and listening to my iPod. But my mind will also be thinking about the countless opportunities we have before us each day to reach people for Christ. And who knows? Maybe some of those MP3 players have downloaded my sermon “Podcasts!” How great would that be?
© 2007, Chris Keeton and Soulscape Press. All rights reserved. All material printed on this site is protected by the copyright law of the United States. It may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission of Chris Keeton and Soulscape Press, obtainable by leaving a comment (with your request) which will be forwarded to Chris Keeton. Altering or removing any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the content is not permitted. Any and all portions of material copied from the Soulscape Blog must be properly attributed to Chris Keeton and Soulscape, and cited with original blog web address.
The MP3 phenomenon has indeed swept across the nation, children and adults alike basking in the aural bliss of their favorite tunes. Why, even this pastor and blogster enjoys his 8GB Apple iPod nano, the sleek black design fitting comfortably in any pocket. Movie soundtracks, classical-style music, trumpet and other instrumental selections, and audio performance tracks make up the bulk of my listening selections, and even as I type this entry, the player rests, comfortably attached to a clock-radio designed to both play and recharge the iPod.
I chuckled as my mind wandered back to my own days at the same school at which my wife is now employed. I imagined what life would have been like if this technology had existed in those not-so-long-ago days when CDs were all the rage, and almost everyone you talked to still knew what a record or an 8-track actually was.
I exited my recliner and moved to the refrigerator, grabbing a quick glass of orange juice, when a recent experience leapt to mind. Last week I was listening to my player as I changed the movable-letter message board in front of my church when I felt a tingle at the base of my left ear. “A stray insect, perhaps; an errant whisker poking the lobe,” I said to myself, scratching my ear, the sensation still barely apparent.
Getting the new letters for the new message organized, I returned outside, when suddenly the feeling returned, this time much more intense, enough to make me grab my ear out of sheer reflex. At that moment I knew it was not a bug, but electric shock. Granted, the MP3 player was not generating vast amounts of power, but it was still enough to cause a tingle that when I think about it now, I still feel it. Needless to say, I will be ordering some new ear buds. Unless . . .
Here’s my theory. The MP3 player industry may not be for entertainment value alone. It may be some government method of mind control. My experience with the mild electric shock could have been an opening salvo, perhaps a test run or a glitch in the system prior to its widespread launch. Or maybe I’m totally off base.
My point here (and yes, I have a point, even though it really has nothing to do with all I’ve said) is that we have a great fixation on things, and spend much of our idle time merely idling through life. For all the millions of music and entertainment devices out there in our homes, schools and places of recreation, there are millions of people who need to hear the message of Jesus.
As I thought of those students gladly meeting the end of their day, celebrating by listening to some “groovy tunes,” and as I thought of them sticking those little ear bud speakers into their ears as I have done countless times myself (at least until the short circuit in the wiring), I wondered, “How many of those kids have had the Gospel placed into their ears? Compared to the number of times they’ve listen to their music players, how many times have they heard the message that Jesus really does love and care about them?”
Our technology has become something we just can’t live without anymore. We gripe and complain about them, but when the computers don’t work or the batteries run down, we’re almost at a loss for what to do. If we as Christians were half as faithful as these little electronic conveniences we have, how many people’s lives could be changed for the better? How many souls would be touched, how many people encouraged and given hope?
Tonight when I go to bed I will fulfill my nightly ritual: a chapter of reading and listening to my iPod. But my mind will also be thinking about the countless opportunities we have before us each day to reach people for Christ. And who knows? Maybe some of those MP3 players have downloaded my sermon “Podcasts!” How great would that be?
© 2007, Chris Keeton and Soulscape Press. All rights reserved. All material printed on this site is protected by the copyright law of the United States. It may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission of Chris Keeton and Soulscape Press, obtainable by leaving a comment (with your request) which will be forwarded to Chris Keeton. Altering or removing any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the content is not permitted. Any and all portions of material copied from the Soulscape Blog must be properly attributed to Chris Keeton and Soulscape, and cited with original blog web address.
1 comment:
Nice post, Chris!
Jennifer
Post a Comment