Blow Up Your Turntable

"For where two or three gather as my followers, I am there among them."
Matthew 18:20 (New Living Translation)

I was doing a little digging around in the basement this past week and I came across what would now be considered an ancient artifact: a direct drive stereo turntable. Now for those of you who have been surgically connected to ipods, mp3 players and smart phones, you probably don't even know what a turntable is. If you are a fan of hip hop music, you may have some idea.

There used to be something called a record. It was a flat disc made out of vinyl and was cut with grooves. When an electrostatic needle was run over the grooves, the music would play. At one time, these were all the rage. They went the way of the dinasour, because they had some limitations. They scratched easily, wore out after awhile and were limited to only hold a certain amount of music. The best thing about record albums was the artwork. The album covers were usually vividly decorated and some of the best art was found on these covers. Check out "Point Of No Return" by Kansas or "Brain Salad Surgery" by Emerson Lake and Palmer. I'm sure you could find the art through google.

But now the album cover is all but extinct. CD Cases are small and ipod and smartphone screens are even smaller. One of the great things about records was that we collected them. They brought us together. We would have listening parties, trade albums and brag that we had every original release of a band's records. It was awesome! But that element of getting together just to hear an album is gone in our culture as are a lot of reasons for getting together in person.

Technology is a great thing. Cell Phones, Google, internet, texting, facebook, twitter and blogging have helped us communicate with people when they cannot be there in person. Many of us spend a great deal of time with our eyes on a screen and our fingers on a keyboard in the privacy of our own room. We can get news, chat and even talk face to face on our computers. It is truly a gift which I am learning to use myself. But I also see the dangers that lurk when we surrender to much of ourselves to the technology around us.

People's computers get hacked, identities get stolen and people's privacy is often compromised. But still we subject ourselves more and more for the sake of speed and convenience. But what about the long phone conversations we used to have? What happened to getting together to talk? What happened to sharing personally our opinions and feelings with others? Now if you have something to say you tweet it or facebook it. The result is that people often become verbal bombthrowers. They post things they would never say in a group. There is a false sense of being anonymous online then there is in private conversations. People have a courage on the keyboard that they cannot muster when face to face. People are more prone to gossip, insult, ridicule, call people out and intimidate others when they are using technology.

But other things get lost too. How about the art of conversation? One night my son Justyn and his girlfirnd Lindsy were sitting on the couch together watching television. What a nice picture I thought except for one thing. They were both on their cellphones texting with other people rather than just enjoying the time together. I'm considered weird for believing that kind of behavior is weird.

Another thing that gets lost is our willingness to invest time into relationships. It is a lot easier to communicate online than it is to sit down and talk over coffee or lunch. We are less likely today to reach out, form new relationships and work to really get to know others. We are in many ways little more than impersonal hermits who do all our living while not really ever having personal face to face contact with those around us.

It presents a spiritual problem as well. Christianity is a faith based on relationships. First, it is based on our relationship with Jesus and then, upon our relationships with others. Love is not real unless it is shared. And it cannot truly be shared unless he have close, personal and meaningful relationships with others. Jesus knew that when he said that for Him to be truly present two or three must be gathered together in His name. Sometimes we view this verse as pertaining only to the church. But it really applies to every facet of life. What is personal is passionate. What is impersonal is distant. What is shared is real, while what is separated by screens, keyboards and cell phones is artificial.

Technology is great, but it is also dangerous. It can isolate us and make much of life seem impersonal and distant. That is why we should balance our dependence on technology with the effort of maintaining and engaging people in personal and authentic relationships. For every hour you spend online, spend an hour with a friend, spouse or one of your children. Go to the community sporting events. Meet the other parents of kids on the team. Rather than shopping online go to the mall with a friend. Rather than texting, call that person and talk to them for awhile. Even though the message you have may be small, short or seemingly unimportant, but the time spent talking about other things and catching up are worth the time. Being available is better than being accessable. Everybody has time for access, but very few are willing to take the time to be available.

Jesus wanted us to gather and to be together, not just with Him, but with each other as well. His love works best when it is shared through the type of love that only happens in person. He blesses us through others and He changes lives through the people He sends into our midst. Technology is good, but it it cannot be a substitute for personal time with others . Go ahead...text, tweet and post away. But use the time saved by these conveniences to be meaningfully present to someone you care about. It's the best way to give and receive blessings and it is the only manner by which God can truly change lives.