Technology, School Shootings, and the Holy Spirit

We are in an age where, it seems to me at least, that every student over the age of 12 has a cell phone. And the most frustrating thing about this situations - they all have nicer phones than me!

So I remember getting my first cell phone. I was 17. I had to buy it myself and pay for the plan myself. And yet I still had to convince my mother to let me do it because at 17 I needed her to sign the contract. I told her I needed it because I would be driving 3.5 hours to college and should have it for emergencies.

I agree with the present argument that teens should have cell phones for safety purposes. I was in high school during Columbine. I, along with my classmates, stood outside for two and half hours during the first of many bomb threats that ensued after the shooting. And as we have seen since - most recently in Newtown - SMS and social media are the first ways that news about personal safety and crises are being spread. I can only imagine how it felt to be the parent of a VT, Columbine, Chardon, Taft student, or the parent of any other student ever in harm's way.

One mother of a Chardon High student expresses a message often heard in the media following such events,

“Thank God she finally got to me. I was so relieved and I thought to myself ‘My daughter will always have her cell phone with her.’”

In this article from Cleveland.com about the Chardon shooting and the use of technology in the crisis, parent, teachers, students, and even emergency workers use social media to spread news about events. There is a downside though. When we expect to get information immediately and we don't, we worry sooner, and probably worse that if 
we didn't have that expectation of immediacy.

"I had been frantically trying to text my daughter and getting no response,” said Darlene Schmuhl, whose daughter Melissa escaped unharmed. “Finally, I got a text she sent me from someone else’s phone, but not until after a lot of worrying.”

There's another problem here too - While information is getting out, it is also, like any other media outlet, guilty of misinformation. We certainly saw that happen regarding the suspect in Newtown. 

So in a world where messages are going in every direction, and those messages are reaching further and faster than ever before, where can we make room for Christ's message and God's love? 

One way youth leaders deal with cell phones and electronics in the hands of every kid, is to instruct them to turn the phones off and put them away. 

Another way to deal with this - actively encourage the use of the phones in their devotional, prayer, educational, worship and spiritual lives. 

We have to look to the future. These devices are not going away. Instead of carrying a bible to youth group or confirmation class, students will be carrying tablets. Its a fact that we have to deal with. We can't fool ourselves into thinking that we can force youth away from social media simply because the church says to out of fear. Certainly the devil is working in new media and technology. But the devil is working everywhere. The best we can do is steer our youth towards best uses of technology in Holy Spirit led lives.

Interlinc is sharing two blogs with ways to combine spiritual practices, 
youth and technology.

What Spirit led practices have you witnessed, used, or led to engage youth in technology?

Relgion & Media Day 1

Seminary - Round 2.

This go 'round I will be concentrating on the convergence of media and religion. Given my background in journalism and entertainment production, I am extremely excited for the opportunity to join these two areas of my life.

Class started today. The Religion & Media Keynote course, with Dr. Largen of LTSG, and Dr. Mary Hess of Luther Seminary. I have high hopes that because the class is so small, we will have excellent, fruitful discussions.

Our backgrounds vary, but much to my surprise I'm the only one not pursuing ordained parish ministry. [meaning no, I won't be a pastor!] I hope that this doesn't prove to create an atmosphere of exclusivity, as it has for me in the past. Sometimes, though not in an intentionally harmful way, professors have a habit of speaking in terms of parish ministry, or by using the phrase "as ordained leaders..." In the spirit of inclusivity they may say "as future church leaders" instead. While I appreciate this effort, it too implies a role within the church [small c] verses Church [big C]. Or, maybe, its just the unfortunate way that I hear it.

I feel ministry is everywhere. God's Church is everyone. No matter what I do in life, as a grocery store cashier, a stage builder, a lighting tech, or a non-profit communications director, I believe I am working in God's kingdom.

A few months back I started receiving a Christian financial magazine title, "Do Well." I have NO idea how I started receiving it, but I found the first two issues insightful. When I moved back to Gettysburg I didn't think it would follow. So in the mailbox today comes the newest issue. I opened it, and saw this:

Oooo media, religion, and my personal theology, right there on the first page.

To add another layer to the timely-and-accurate cake, the editor references Gettysburg -

"After the battle of Gettysburg in the Civil War, Union general George Mead telegraphed President Abraham Lincoln to inform him that his army had "driven the enemy from our soil." Legend has it that Lincoln responded, 'It's all our soil."

Let me stop now before I go into how to verify references and gain accuracy regarding a "legend."