PROGRESS?

“There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.” (Proverbs 16:25)

I guess this may be very hypocritical of me- writing, warning of the dangers of becoming too dependent on computers and electronic devices...and I’m writing this ON A BLOG ON THE INTERNET! It’s kind of like T.V. specials for children and families which tout the virtues of TURNING OFF TELEVISION. That also seems rather hypocritical to me!

Please bear with me in my inconsistencies, but I want to tell the story of a minister friend of mine who kept his entire very busy schedule on one of those hand held electronic devises (the brand name starts with “P”) which he would then “sync up” with his computer. I’ve had this guy tell me of how wonderful his calendar system is...that he never keeps a traditional datebook or calendar. Everything goes into his electronic device, and then onto his computer. AND, he believed his system was foolproof because he subscribes to a well known service whose brand name starts with “C”. That service is supposed to back up everything on your computer so that even if your computer had a meltdown, you can go to that “C” brand service and everything is still there.

Well, he’s been having serious trouble with his hand held electronic device. He’s had SO much trouble, that he just bought a brand new one. Last night he left his hand held device hooked up to his computer so that everything would “sync up”...then he planned to transfer the data from the computer today to his new hand held device and all would be right with the world.

This morning he checked:
The old hand held device was devoid of any memory...everything was “wiped out”!
The computer was devoid of any memory OF THE CALENDAR./SCHEDULE...everything was wiped out.
Even the special “C” brand service was devoid of any memory OF THE CALENDAR/SCHEDULE. IT “remembers” the last action of an application. Well, the last action of his electronic schedule was to wipe it all out, so that special “C” brand service also wiped it all out!

He had NO hardcopy of his schedule.

“How can I prevent such a thing in the future?” he asked.

Maybe this was really rude, but I said nothing. I just pulled a BIC pen out of my pocket and held it up!

“I knew somebody was going to do that,” he said kind of sadly.

What he DID decide to do was to e-mail about 200 people that he regularly interacts with. He explained his plight and asked that if he has anything scheduled with any of them, that they mail the information to him so he can rebuild his calendar.

I have learned to “never say never”. Twenty years ago I said I would NEVER have a car phone or a cell phone...NEVER! Well, I’ve now had a cell phone for almost ten years. I also said I did not plan to go on-line and that there was absolutely no need for me to be on-line. Well, I’ve been on-line for almost thirteen years. I also said I did not need to use a computer...that a typewriter was good enough for me. Well, I’ve now been using computers for sixteen years. I am NOW saying I can’t imagine myself keeping my calendar on one of those electronic devices, but maybe someday I will. I still keep a calendar the old fashioned way. In fact, I have my main datebook in my church office and I have a small datebook in my briefcase. I write all my appointments in BOTH. Yes, like my electronic friend, I have to “sync” my calendars up, and I do that every couple of days. It’s very helpful, because sometimes I forget to put an appointment on one or the other calendar, and when I compare them, it helps be to keep my schedule straight!

I really DID feel bad for my friend. He said he’s not going to put QUITE SO MUCH information in his hand held electronic device and he’s not going to be quite so dependent on it in the future. He also plans to printout a hardcopy of his schedule every week or so to save as a backup. That makes sense.

We can get in a lot of trouble when we’re too dependent on ANYTHING. A 70-ish pastor I know became “Pastor Emeritus” at his church a few years ago, and his “GEN X” son became the new pastor. I’ll call the older pastor Elwood and his son Zach. Some months after 30-ish Zach became pastor he was all in a panic because the PowerPoint system was not working at his church one Sunday morning. He was not sure he could even hold a service...as they were totally dependent on PowerPoint for song lyrics, visual aids, announcements, etc. His Dad Elwood laughed.

“Thirty years ago, I had church in an old American Legion hall with folding chairs, a Bible and a few beat-up hymnals,” the older guy said, “PowerPoint is a nice tool and sound systems are nice, but just give me a Bible and a simple podium, and I’m more than comfortable running a service. But my son just doesn’t know what to do without that stuff and considers it a necessity!”

We all become so dependent on so many things! I did not own a car equipped with air conditioning until 1988. Now, if the AC goes out on one of my vehicles, I consider it a catastrophe and remark, “CAN’T this get FIXED?!”

Back in 1974, there was a huge convention and convocation of evangelical Protestants in Lausanne, Switzerland. Many of them signed the “Lausanne Covenant” which committed them to a “simpler lifestyle”. Ruth Bell Graham, wife of evangelist Billy Graham refused to sign it. A feisty and honest woman, she told Billy that she wasn’t going to sign up to live a simple lifestyle! I can’t blame her. I think a lot of times people sign those agreements and then “find ways around” them. But watching my friend’s dilemma today, I felt bad about how dependent we’ve all become on modern electronic devices. Yes, I felt so bad about it that I jumped on my state-of-the-art iMac computer and wrote a posting for my blog!

Fifteen years ago, I would not have known what a blog was! In those days, I probably would have viewed a blog as a bad thing...as a chore I’d never want to be responsible for.

Is this progress? Is this good? I don’t know!