It's Not About the Techonology

A World of Technology

     "It's not about the technology." That was one of my favorite mantras while I was the Media Director for HCJB Global in Latin America and I drilled it into our staff as often as I could. And it sounds pretty strange coming out of my mouth, being that I am an engineer and worked on state of the art radar technology in the defense industry before going to the mission field 20 some years ago. Even now, as I do research on how to use the new technologies of internet, cell phones, and mobile devices to communicate with people, I have to remind myself that its not about the technology.

     So what is it about? It's about having a message, a saving message, that we need to communicate to a world that hasn't yet heard the news. In days gone by, that communication had to happen face to face, or maybe by writing a letter. But the messages traveled slowly and two way, long distance conversations were laborious. Radio and television changed all of that. Suddenly, we were able to communicate around the world, into remote areas, behind political and geographic borders. Today we are seeing a new revolution in communication technology... rapid two-way communication using the internet, cell phones, and mobile devices.

      But it is still about the message.... We can sometimes get wrapped up in the latest and greatest technology, but what good is the technology if we have nothing to say? Knowing how to communicate the saving message of Jesus Christ effectively is still the most important thing. If you can't do that, the technology won't do it for you.

     So how are you doing? When was the last time you articulated the Gospel to a friend or neighbor? Can you respond with love when someone ridicules your faith or argues with you about the authority of the Bible? Remember... it's about not about the technology... it's about the message.

Doug