Sharing the message

2010-02-02

'In the beginning was...' - well, it wasn't the Internet but it was a form of communication - '...the Word'.  Much has been made recently of the Internet's relentless advance over the past couple of decades, together with that of e-mail. 

I can remember the first faltering steps of e-mail in the mid-80s with a fledgling BT service called Telecom Gold.  The problem then was a lack of people with the equipment needed to send and receive e-mails.  No such problem now!

There are occasional posts I read about whether or not the Church should be involved in all this new technology and, I have to say, my response is to say, "Of course".  Why?  Because Christians have always been involved in communications and in using the technology of the day. 

Think of the fragments of ancient copies of the Bible that have been found; think of those beatiful illustrated manuscripts lovingly produced in medieval monsateries; think of the impact that printing had.  I can only imagine the impact that the recently launched iPad and its like will have in their turn. 

Taking a wider view, the Christian faith has communicated through art, music and literature across the ages.  Almost since their invention, television and radio have been used to carry the Christian message.   I'm not sure if it's just a story but it was said that one of the reasons for not broadcasting a church service in the very early days of 'the wireless' was that a man may be listening to it in a pub and - can you imagine - he may be wearing a hat at the time.  That was a grave offence against the etiquette of the day.

What we've seen in recent years with the Internet is a 'democratisation' of comunication.  Nowadays, anyone with a view can share it with the world.  Setting up your own web-based radio or TV station is within the grasp of the many and not just the few.  

And it's good to see that Christian grouos are at the cutting edge. 

Going back to where I began, it's interesting to see how God is forever communicating with his people in the Bible - ultimately through Jesus, 'the Words made flesh'.  In harnessing the possibilities of the Internet and other new technologies to communicate their message what Christians are doing is carrying on something that's as old as Adam - even older, in fact!

Making sermons from St George's available for download, then, is our latest contribution to the expanding wi-fi world we now live in.  Whatever next?