My mind is still spinning with thoughts of how my dearly loved relationships
have changed, and not for the better I might add, after the reading of Dr. Sylvia
Hart Frejd and her father Dr. Archibald Hart’s The Digital
Invasion.
A month or so ago I watched Sneakers, a Universal Pictures movie made in
1992, and a brief dialogue went something like this: ……the world isn't run by
weapons anymore, or energy, or money. It's run by little ones and zeros,
little bits of data. It's all just electrons.... There's a war out
there... and it's not about who's got the most bullets. It's about who
controls the information. What we see and hear, how we work, what we
think, it's all about information........ It's all about information! At the
moment I didn’t think much about it, but now I scream “what an overstatement!” Daily news of roadside bombs, political paybacks, continuing disputes over land and territory, the ongoing saga
of the NSA, IRS, the Benghazi attack and continuing struggles over energy resources is reminding me of
"wars and rumors of wars" all around. Surely, the war is far
more than about information.
But the way, in these news stories are told underlies the insidious perpetuation of conflict. The instant access to information and news as a result of the Internet makes every blogger a knowledge guru and every website a "purveyor" of the truth. Those "in the know" craft the news and spin their stories. Indeed, the more I see the way the world interacts with the wealth of information available through the power of the Internet, the more I become convinced of the truth of this statement: The world is run by information, and the world is embroiled in an information war.
To illuminate this point, in discovery research, I found this report in an old September 2008 issue of The Huffington Post, about the crisis that involvedRussia and Georgia United States
I confess, my inquiring mind wants to know about a variety of issues, political, theological, apologetic, or otherwise, all brought to my attention because of information from particular e-mails, websites, online article or social site like Facebook. Recently, I have been asked if I had read or if I knew whether a particular Christian speaker, leader, or pastor is in league with a the popular culprit of the day—leading faithful Christians away from the truth. I was caught in “the trap,” by saying I didn’t have any idea but in return asked: “what have your heard?” I must be careful in coming up with definitive conclusions drawn from hearsay and very limited information. I am becoming more and more aware that rather than increasing knowledge and alleviating fears, the great sea of information seems more often to confine me to shallow waters. I must watch that I do not get caught in an ensueing civil war in which I would be a part of biting and devouring another and be consumed myself. I must refer to Galatians 5:15 often. The war continues unabated, at times with fierceness that rivals real warfare.
I'm just as guilty of picking up these weapons, using my own selective memory to take ideas completely out of context in order to win my own wars of information. In fact, I am prone to picking and choosing the sources I will use for ammunition based on whether or not they confirm my own point of view, pacify my fears, or justify my smug sense of self-righteousness. But in the end, more often than not, I am submerged in an ocean of misinformation. Drowning in what appears to be knowledge, I accept "truths" devoid of historical context. I often, unconsciously assume, for example, that my information on Christianity emerged straight out of the evangelical faith in which I was raised, religious overtones, or from my experiences. I forget that I am but a small part of a much larger ocean of faithful followers of the Way, the Truth, and the Life, which can be traced from Noah to Abraham, from Deborah to Esther, and from those twelve humble disciples all the way through the history of the Christian church.
As I reflect on this war of information, I am reminded of what Jesus said to those faithful Jews who had believed in him: "If you abide in my word, then you are truly disciples of mine; and you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free" John 8:31-32. Ultimately, the truth sets me free and liberates me from fearful misinformation. Liberation can serve, if I let it, as my guidepost as I persevere against fear, divisiveness, and a propensity to judge first and listen later--especially towards those enlisted in the same battalion. The message of Jesus encourages me to abide, remain, and rest in him because even the gates of hell, in whatever form they take, will not prevail. Abiding in Christ liberates me to seek the truth through the sea of misinformation, and frees me from the fear of being ensnared by it. Bill, abiding, liberating, and remaining in Christ may seem a simple response to the onslaught of the information war……. maybe even simplistic but you are a simple man. And yes, perhaps it is necessary regardless, and somehow, by God's grace, it is corrective as well.
Father, in the war of information, I need desperately the truth of Your Son, of Jesus Christ, to cut a clear path and issue a clarion call to me daily. My intent is going to be finding confidence in Jesus alone. I have found from many years of experience, that the confidence He provides always liberates
and never wounds. Inspire me to speak the truth in love to my world warring over information. I also pray that Your Spirit will remind me when my intent is subdued.
But the way, in these news stories are told underlies the insidious perpetuation of conflict. The instant access to information and news as a result of the Internet makes every blogger a knowledge guru and every website a "purveyor" of the truth. Those "in the know" craft the news and spin their stories. Indeed, the more I see the way the world interacts with the wealth of information available through the power of the Internet, the more I become convinced of the truth of this statement: The world is run by information, and the world is embroiled in an information war.
To illuminate this point, in discovery research, I found this report in an old September 2008 issue of The Huffington Post, about the crisis that involved
I confess, my inquiring mind wants to know about a variety of issues, political, theological, apologetic, or otherwise, all brought to my attention because of information from particular e-mails, websites, online article or social site like Facebook. Recently, I have been asked if I had read or if I knew whether a particular Christian speaker, leader, or pastor is in league with a the popular culprit of the day—leading faithful Christians away from the truth. I was caught in “the trap,” by saying I didn’t have any idea but in return asked: “what have your heard?” I must be careful in coming up with definitive conclusions drawn from hearsay and very limited information. I am becoming more and more aware that rather than increasing knowledge and alleviating fears, the great sea of information seems more often to confine me to shallow waters. I must watch that I do not get caught in an ensueing civil war in which I would be a part of biting and devouring another and be consumed myself. I must refer to Galatians 5:15 often. The war continues unabated, at times with fierceness that rivals real warfare.
I'm just as guilty of picking up these weapons, using my own selective memory to take ideas completely out of context in order to win my own wars of information. In fact, I am prone to picking and choosing the sources I will use for ammunition based on whether or not they confirm my own point of view, pacify my fears, or justify my smug sense of self-righteousness. But in the end, more often than not, I am submerged in an ocean of misinformation. Drowning in what appears to be knowledge, I accept "truths" devoid of historical context. I often, unconsciously assume, for example, that my information on Christianity emerged straight out of the evangelical faith in which I was raised, religious overtones, or from my experiences. I forget that I am but a small part of a much larger ocean of faithful followers of the Way, the Truth, and the Life, which can be traced from Noah to Abraham, from Deborah to Esther, and from those twelve humble disciples all the way through the history of the Christian church.
As I reflect on this war of information, I am reminded of what Jesus said to those faithful Jews who had believed in him: "If you abide in my word, then you are truly disciples of mine; and you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free" John 8:31-32. Ultimately, the truth sets me free and liberates me from fearful misinformation. Liberation can serve, if I let it, as my guidepost as I persevere against fear, divisiveness, and a propensity to judge first and listen later--especially towards those enlisted in the same battalion. The message of Jesus encourages me to abide, remain, and rest in him because even the gates of hell, in whatever form they take, will not prevail. Abiding in Christ liberates me to seek the truth through the sea of misinformation, and frees me from the fear of being ensnared by it. Bill, abiding, liberating, and remaining in Christ may seem a simple response to the onslaught of the information war……. maybe even simplistic but you are a simple man. And yes, perhaps it is necessary regardless, and somehow, by God's grace, it is corrective as well.
Father, in the war of information, I need desperately the truth of Your Son, of Jesus Christ, to cut a clear path and issue a clarion call to me daily. My intent is going to be finding confidence in Jesus alone. I have found from many years of experience, that the confidence He provides always liberates
and never wounds. Inspire me to speak the truth in love to my world warring over information. I also pray that Your Spirit will remind me when my intent is subdued.
1 comment:
Amen Brother Bill!
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