The Christian Mind and Google

A scenario you have probably seen recently—you and your friends are debating certain issues and you come up on a question.  Where do you go to find the answer?  Just Google it.  That seems to be the first response these days.  If it relates to an event, entertainment, food, money, relationships, politics, the economy, and the like, we find today that often we go to Google for help in finding the answer.  It’s quick and easy.  Also, you don’t have to work hard for the answer.  What a joy!

Is it the same among Christians today?  When we want an answer to a question about the Christian life, do we Google it?  If there is a matter related to any of the same categories above and you are looking for an answer from a Christian perspective, do you Google it?  What about deeper issues of our faith and doctrine?  Let’s Google it and take a chance that what we see is biblical and correct.  What is the effect on the Christian mind when we do this?

This has been nagging me a lot over the past few years as a believer.   I have a hard time reconciling this with diligent, systematic Bible study.  After all, we are supposed to involved in studying the Scriptures, aren’t we?  Now I can even read the Bible in Tweets.  Maybe some of our brains can’t handle more than that anyway.  Leave it to the preachers to teach us.

But wait, now we just stay at home and get the preacher’s podcast.  I can lounge around in my pajamas Sunday morning and play the service in the background while petting the dog.  Get me a cup of Joe, the morning news, and my preacher on webcast.  Man, this Christianity thing is great!  I wonder what Jesus would do?  WWJD?

Well, apparently we are no longer asking “WWJD” but we are asking “WWGD,” that is, “What Would Google Do?”  The book has been written, I am not kidding.  The author Jeff Jarvis has prophesied in the new book What Would Google Do? that if we are not asking the question we are going to be left behind in the dust of some prior model of obsolescence.  Google is our new model for thinking, according to Jarvis, and it is hard to find a sector of life and business that has not already been affected by its influence.   Jarvis goes on to say, “Google is changing our societies, our lives, our relationships, our worldviews, probably even our brains in ways we can only begin to calculate.”

That’s where I got concerned for Christians.  We are new creations in Christ, the old has gone, the new has come.  Our minds should be set on what the Spirit desires as we live with the Holy Spirit within us; the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace (see Romans 8:5-8).  We read Scripture, we pray, we turn our minds toward God, toward His goodness, toward life in the Son.  Yet we seek quick answers to spiritual things by Googling it.  Dangers abound when we do.

Fight the reflex.  That’s right, fight the reflex to Google an answer to a spiritual question.  Go to the Source.  We are told to “take every thought captive to make it obedient to Christ” (2 Cor. 10:5).  We are even told we have the mind of Christ (1 Cor. 2:16).  Dwell on this a bit, and when you have a question go to God’s Word.  Ask the Lord to know your mind, to know your thoughts, and to lead you in the way everlasting (Psalm 139).

I know what I am saying may sound contrarian, but I maintain that Jesus was a contrarian.  So I am returning to WWJD next time I am seeking an answer.  I hope you will follow.

The Economy: Searching for Answers

It’s July 4th and all’s well—I guess.   I don’t want to give a hearty amen to this statement because I have been reading Business Week.  So many questions, yet so many incomplete or less-than-hearty answers.

Have you noticed the lack of commitment by all the business experts?  Here’s an example, “All this austerity will pay off—eventually.”  Or Jack and Suzy Welch’s answer to the question “When will this *@&^ recession end?”  They answered, “How about sometime in 2010?  The problem with being more precise, you see, is the mixed picture out there.”

I would agree with that.  But just give me a straight answer.  I want to know whether the stimulus plan is working—plenty of hemmin’ and hawin’ when it comes to an answer to this question.  How many more banks will fail?  It depends on how you define “fail.”  Is there any hope for the automobile industry?  Maybe if they can come up with new and exciting products.  When will unemployment stop rising?  We may be near the bottom of readjustment, so we should see this trend slowing.

There is one question from this issue of Business Week that reveals where the American public seeks an answer.  They are seeking their answer from the White House, which may indicate that we are drifting toward increasing reliance on our federal government to solve everything.  The question:  “What one issue would matter most in your presidential vote?”  Over 50% of the respondents to the Pew Research Center poll answered, “Economy/Jobs.”  Moral values rated, but only at 10%.  Compare these figures to the same poll in 2004.  Terrorism/Iraq/Afghanistan garnered 36%, the economy 21%, and moral values 27%.

Of course the economy would rank higher in this year’s poll.  And it would seem reasonable for Terrorism/Iraq/Afghanistan shrinking to 8% as we move further away from 9/11/01.  My concern is the shrinking emphasis on moral values.  Just take a look at some of the moral issues we see around us, in particular among political leaders.  If we can’t have politicians who know how to act responsibly on a personal level, then we likely will not have politicians who can address major issues with the economy in a responsible manner.

We need men and women who will serve this country with dignity, that will set a proper example for the next generation.  Yes, the economy is perhaps the most significant issue of the day.  But let’s not throw out our morals.  This might just be the time when we consider that the really important things in life are the intangibles.  Our lives will be the richer for it.  Oh, and happy July 4th!

Are Jobs the New Assets?

Time Magazine, along with other media giants, deserves credit when they get our attention.  After all, isn’t that what communications is all about?  In the March 23 edition, the headline read “10 Ideas Changing the World Right Now.”  I looked at the headline curiously, wondering if the ideas would solve all of our economic issues or if they were just speculative enough to prompt further analysis from experts and amateurs.  If you are curious, check out the article to see where it leads your thinking—here is a link.

At the top of the list, Number 1, was this:  Jobs are the New Assets.  Was this supposed to make us feel better about the dwindling property and investment values we see around us?  Or was this a step toward some economic theory about human capital?  Maybe it’s a little of both.  It’s probably time to get out your Econ 101 book and revisit the section dealing with human capital.

The idea deserves merit.  Jobs define us, they give us an identity.  No longer will I look at my balance sheet for purpose in my life, I will look at each day with a job as something precious.  Is this too much a short-term perspective?  No, I think this thought contributes to the long-term notion that jobs represent the best assets a company holds.  If you have jobs, you have production.  If you have jobs, you have billable hours.  The corporate world lacks this long-term perspective when it rewards risk-takers with large bonuses at the expense of a steady, perhaps slower view that rewards dedication, dependability, and long-term value building.

Part of the next generation’s challenge with jobs will be to protect their human capital.  Don’t overlook the fact that skills require development.  Education helps.  An apprenticeship makes sense.  You can’t sit around in coffee shops day after day and expect to develop your human capital.  Get up and get moving toward some vocational outlet that intrigues you and maintains your interest.

Another thought about protecting your human capital’s worth:  stay healthy.  Years of smoking and drinking age you quickly.  Look at someone who does this stuff for 20 years and you’ll see the wear and tear on their physical bodies.  The scary part is not what you see, but what you don’t see.  Statistics from the Urban Institute in early 2009 show that about a third of all Americans develop some health-related limitation in their fifties and sixties.  As a result, many workers do not retire on their own timetable.

Some of the next generation seem to think they can ignore healthy habits.  It is strange, but many of those who call themselves “green” and seem more concerned about global warming than they do their own bodies probably lead the way in unhealthy habits.  The “greenies” tend to ignore their need for rest and use drugs and alcohol like they are necessary parts of a balanced diet (please excuse this short rant).

So, if you are your best asset, take care of yourself.  The next generation awaits.

Faith and Governance: The Roles of the Ministry Board

Wisdom. Dedication. Leadership. Advisors. These are all terms commonly used to describe nonprofit board members. And all of these terms are applicable and relevant. But what about board members of the average nonprofit ministry? Is there one role that is more needed or desired over another? Or should other roles be added to the list?

To start, ministry board members play a unique role that contrasts with the secular nonprofit boards. Ministry board members are involved in spiritual work, that is, the mission of their organization takes its lead from the Lord and so all that comes under the heading of the organization is subject to the Lord’s leadership. This may sound overstated, but you might be surprised at how some board members of Christian organizations forget their spiritual roles.

Yes, there are common obligations for both secular and Christian boards. For example, board members have responsibility for the organization’s mission and strategic direction, for ensuring its fiscal health, for hiring and evaluating an executive director, for being an advocate of the organization, for making and monitoring policy, and for developing resources. In the Christian organization, let’s add to the list these items: ensuring the witness of the institution, promoting a Christian worldview, maintaining standards based in Scripture, and keeping the organization accountable to God.

Ministry board members have a double dose of responsibility. One thing is certain–continued success for the ministry depends on regular prayer and seeking the Lord’s direction above all else. Board members should not take this role too lightly. Spiritual direction is key and should drive all other decisions of the organization.

This spills over into developing support for the ministry. Board members must view fund-raising not as a transaction, but rather a chance to be involved in the transformation of the giver. When we understand that God owns it all and that we have a duty to be good stewards of all entrusted to us, it becomes exciting to be involved in the asking process. This is a direct invitation to lay up treasures in heaven, to have something credited in heaven to the giver’s account.

As ministry board members grab hold of the transformation process and realize the significance of their roles, they will be better equipped to exercise faithful leadership for the organizations they serve.