It's ok people...I have not fallen off the face of the earth. I have just been either lacking inspiration, or too inspired by very controversial topics...I have decided to lead with my chin tonight and broach a sensitive topic: Technology as a commodity and the money we use to consume it.
Caveat: I have one laptop, and one mobile phone (not a smart phone) and am married to someone who also has a mobile phone (not a smart phone), we have one television (old style)...
I have noticed a disturbing trend over the past 15 years or so...or to be more specific, since the iPod was first released. I was going to an affluent church in an affluent area, and suddenly everybody (hyperbole alert) had an iPod. To be fair, not everyone had an iPod, but a fair number of people did. The service I was a part of at this church was a consistent underperformer in the area of voluntary giving as was evidenced by the relatively frequent appeals to the parishoners for greater generosity (with graphs and everything...). I could never understand how we could afford to buy an iPod, but not give substantially more to the church.
Fast forward a few years and the trend continues at many churches. Many people have become consumers of the smartphone and tablet phenomenon (let the reader understand). People will happily shell out several hundred dollars for a tablet/smartphone, but may not be as generous in their voluntary giving at church.
It disturbs me that christians appear to be amongst the first to take up any new and fashionable technology. I am disturbed even more when ministry families may have multiple laptops/desktops and tablets and smartphones. Is this a wise use of the money entrusted to them/us by our parishoners?
I realise that quite often such purchases are assisted by grants which expire if they are not taken advantage of. But I am also aware that many many of our parishoners are not in a position to afford many of these things, and seeing us taking advantage of such new technologies may lead them to critisise our choices when it comes to how we spend the money they entrust to us. They may look at us and think "why should I scrimp and penny pinch just so they can lead the good life?" We are not flush with cash by any means but the outsider, or unbeliever would never know that to look at us.
I wonder whether it is wise for us to always be the first to get the next new thing. Whether it might not be better to be seen to be living a more frugal lifestyle, having the necessities rather than the expensive luxuries? Might these luxuries lead people to think that if you become a christian, then God will bless you materially? (whether or not he chooses to) Would it not be a better witness to those less fortunate than ourselves if we forgoe thse new technologies for the sake of the gospel and the lost rather than flaunting them?
I am aware that these may be controversial sentiments, but let me know what you think...do you think Jesus would approve of our stewardship of his good gifts to us?
While I think that generosity and support for the church is absolutely important, I think He probably cares more about whether or not we are making these financial decisions wisely. If we are complicating our lives, getting into debt to keep up with these advances, then I think that is more serious. If we can afford them without overcomplicating our lives and overcommitting our funds, then it's probably a different thing altogether.
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