It’s the Best of Times; It’s the Worst of Times
January 16, 2011 PM
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to heaven, we were all going direct the other way - in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.” - Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities
In Dickens’ novel, depicting the plight of the French Peasantry demoralized by the French Aristocracy in the years leading up to the French Revolution, he contrasts a number of things. The story is about politics and war and human nature at its best and worst. It means, in simple terms, that the time period was filled with great contradictions and extremes, from good to bad. Some of the greatest strides in art, medicine, literature, social values had been seen, but along with them came corresponding evils and perversions.
We are in such a time where technology and science have grown exponentially and have given us the greatest time-savers as well as the greatest time-wasters. Science has made it possible for mankind to live longer that he has in thousands of years, but also has made it possible for mankind to suffer longer than he has in thousands of years. Technology has also given us to means to elevate and expand a virtuous message to billions around the world at lightning speed. It has also given us the means to spread debauchery and evil, the likes of which have not been seen to such a degree ever before. It truly is the Best of Times, and it certainly is the Worst of Times.
Tonight, I would like to deal with one of these innovations. The Internet, or also commonly referred to as the World Wide Web. With an aside concerning all such technology.
The World Wide Web can be viewed as a large metropolis. It is like when you visit a large city and surrounding countryside. In certain areas of the city you will encounter marvelous museums, towering cathedrals, and vast libraries containing worlds of history and knowledge, local churches, businesses, beautiful mountain vistas in the distance. But as you walk farther down the street and turn the corner, you will step into the seedier, more dangerous part of the city. It has its own allure, and potential for danger.
Like any major city, it has its own neighborhoods, some safe and some potentially dangerous. But unlike any other metropolis, the web lacks a government, laws, or a police force. A turn down the wrong cyber-street guarantees exposure to information or images at least as corrosive as anything available in the streets of New York, Paris, or Tokyo—and often even worse.
It is the Worst of Times
Let’s begin with some online dangers and some practical responses.
• Pornography –
A Canadian survey reveals that 44% of men who visit these sites admit that they began doing so before age 16. A British survey reported that over half of all word searches on the Internet are aimed at locating pornography. The top eight word searches were all pornography related.
• Chat Rooms
While men outnumber women 6:1 in their online use of explicit material, women slightly outnumber men when it comes to the “Chat Room” and “Multi-User Domain” (or MUD)—the cyberspace equivalent of a singles bar. Studies reveal that about 90% of Chat and MUD users form personal relationships; about one-third of these relationships result in a face-to-face meeting; and about a quarter of these relationships evolve into romantic involvements. (Psalm 101:3)
The nature of human psychology is that over-indulgence in one pleasure creates a desire for another, more depraved pleasure, and so forth in a potentially unending downward spiral towards total degradation. Thousands of sites offer 24/7 online gambling, and researchers say upwards of 15 million people visit these sites annually and leave several billion dollars of their family’s funds there.
• Social Disconnect
In a landmark study, published in American Psychologist, researchers from Carnegie Mellon University examined the amount of time people spent interacting with other family members before and after installation of a computer with Internet access. During the two-year longitudinal study, family interaction declined dramatically, and the drop was directly proportional to the increase in Internet use. Ironically, many study participants justified their increasing time online saying they needed to “stay in touch” with more distant friends and relatives, while they increasingly ignored those they were living with. I hear complaints weekly from spouses, parents, and especially children who feel the Internet has robbed them of their loved-ones.
• Depression
As Internet involvement increases, so do loneliness and depression—especially among middle and upper class males. There are many theories about the relationship between Internet use and depression. For example, some researchers argue that productive people have only limited time to develop and maintain their most significant relationships, and moderate-to-heavy Internet use necessarily siphons hours off this precious reservoir, leaving people socially isolated and sad. Other researchers remind us that the mere act of sitting still in front of a computer display can trigger a biochemical chain-reaction that ends in depression.
Parents who recognize these challenges can adjust to modernity and raise a heroic generation. Those who fail to see this hairpin turn in the path towards normalcy could lead their children over a disastrous precipice. (Philippians 4:8)
It is the Best of Times
As in many areas of our lives, we may sometimes have a knee-jerk reaction and avoid certain potentially beneficial things at all costs. I know some who will not cross the I-10 bridge into Westlake because they are deathly afraid of it. Many parents will not inoculate their children because of even the possibility that there may be a negative side-effect. There are some who will not venture out into public because someone they knew was once mugged.
But the reality today is that if you want to engage in just about any type of business, medical or learning endeavor, you must be proficient at computer usage and internet involvement. The internet is allowing our grandson to learn to love his aunt Maegan by visually visiting her on Skype each week even though they are separated by over 2,000 miles.
While it is the worst of times technologically speaking, it is also the best of times technologically speaking. We have an unprecedented opportunity today to get the gospel out quicker and farther than at any other time in human history. We may choose to stick our heads in the sand, be pulled into the 21st century kicking and screaming, but the reality is – it’s here to stay and eventually may be the only means of navigating our daily routine. Love it or hate it, just as the Gutenberg press, the invention of radio and television, the advent of the World Wide Web brings with it wonderful opportunity to reach billions for Christ that may not be reached otherwise.
And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.” - Mark 16:15(NKJV)
And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come. - Mat 24:14(NKJV)
It is apparent that the church in this generation has more opportunities to accomplish the great commission than any other generation has had and God expects us to go for it. World evangelism is the church’s most urgent assignment, and each of must seek for ways to participate more in this mission.
Yet overall the church’s record for using technology has been slow at best. Lyle Schaller, well-known author and speaker, of tells how difficult it was for the church to embrace the telephone when it became widely available. One wonders at how long it took the church to adopt the printing press in the middle of the 15th century. If we’re to succeed in the Great Commission, the church must look at available technology and ask how it can be used creatively for the cause of Christ.
Why is it important for the Church to have an internet presence?
1. The target audience for church growth is Internet-savvy
Most church growth comes from what we call the 18-to-18 range – people from 18 years old to families with 18-year-old children. This also happens to be the group with the highest Internet usage. According to research by the US government, teenagers and families with children at home are the biggest Internet users of any demographic group. Using the Internet to communicate with families and young adults is a natural.
2. A Web site will be the “first impression” for many people
Most people under 40 grew up with technology and they automatically go to the Internet for information. It has been found that many families relocating to a new city will research both where to live and where to worship over the Internet. They will often make their “first cut” shopping list before they ever come to town.
3. If we’re not on the Web, we don’t exist to many people
As a corollary to the previous item, people who use the Internet as their primary research tool will not know you exist if you don’t have a Web site.
A 20- or 30-something person is much more likely to use the Internet to find church service times than to look in the yellow pages or newspaper. Informal surveys have shown that many young college graduates don’t even have yellow pages in their homes. Most teenagers don’t even know theaters listed movie times in the newspaper – they just get them off the Web!
4. Seekers will visit our Web site before attending our service of worship
The Internet provides a perfect tool for people wanting information anonymously. Seekers who are not ready to “come to the building” will visit our Web site to see what we believe and why. Online sermons and photos of services and events go a long way toward making a seeker feel secure enough to make a first time visit.
5. A whole generation exists that will seek “religion” online
In his book “Boiling Point”, George Barna has projected that 10 percent to 20 percent of the population will rely on the Internet for all of their spiritual input and output by 2010. Whether you like it or not, the prediction seems to be right on track. When these people go to the Internet with spiritual questions, who will be providing the answers? What will they be taught? As we learned this morning, the most widely visited “religious” website is not theologically evangelical, it is Mormon.
8. People are viewing your current Web site right now
I can point you to the stats that people are viewing our web site every month. People moving into our area are researching churches before they move. People interested in changing congregations are viewing our site. Seekers who have been made aware of our church are looking for more information on our site.
So what does this all mean?
First, a very loud warning. BE CAREFUL! Technology can suck your quality time with your family, your friends, and the very ones Jesus has called us to disciple. Don’t ever let technology replace good face to face reality with other human beings. Greeting our children when they arrive home from school, being there to send them off again in the morning, and spending quality time with them in between all constitute inoculations against the Internet.
We can teach our children about the cyber-street and about the hucksters and criminals who live there. We can limit their involvement to only when we are personally there with them. We can limit our involvement and be accountable to our spouse, or someone else and have them police our internet usage.
It is the Best of Times; It is the Worst of Times. Let’s use technology simply as the tools they were originally meant to be. Nothing more, nothing less. To God be the glory!
