The Christmas Pen

It is said that the pen is mightier than the sword. Have you ever wished that you were a fly on the wall when words were written by a scribe some thousands of years ago? If you could only go back in time and actually get a feel of the atmosphere of the room when the pen was put onto paper or the quill to the scroll. Did the author speak as he wrote, what did the others in that room say to inspire or challenge him to write? Was the writing on the walls of a tomb done in eerie silence or under duress?

Would the historic words mean much more to us now if the pen had eyes and ears so that we could have an audio and video clip of the scene to complement the words? I am an aural and visual person. Words come alive when I hear and see the action surrounding it. After watching an exciting movie I get frustrated with the long 10 minutes of credits at the end. These silent scrolling of text with famous names are simply lines of words that I cannot hook on to anything. They fade from my vision and memory as fast as the fly’s footsteps on a clean glass window.

At this Christmas time, I want to talk about the modern Christmas gift gadget called “Livescribe” Smartpen. You may want to buy one for yourself or offer it as a gift to someone. Basically it a physical writing device like a ball point pen except it remembers every word you write as well as records the sounds of people and yourself as your write. It also has a digital camera built into the pen to record the environment at the time of writing. All these can be played back at anytime by linking it with a USB cable to your PC.

Some thousands of years before Jesus was born, the prophet Isaiah made a bold declaration that would change the course of history forever in these words: “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” - Isaiah 9:6.

How I wish Isaiah had the Livescribe pen when he wrote those words! But then I don’t really need one as those words were replayed in real life in the factual birth of Jesus Christ in 2008 years ago. The incarnation of Christ is replayed every year throughout the world at Christmas time.

At this Christmas time, the world is in crisis. Our solitary human-inhabited planet needs to know that no government will succeed without leaning on His shoulder. The Bible is alive with His power and in Him every person can find Counsel, Peace, a Heavenly Father and the only Mighty God. God did not send a pen or the scribe - he sent Himself.

A blessed Christmas to you. Jesus the reason for the season.

Google Ogles

You thought Google Maps was great. Earlier Google provided a satellite view of any location or you could ask for a travel route map by entering your origin and destination - very useful features on its search engine. But last week, Google added yet another feature – Street level map. In New Zealand, you can actually travel in 3D through your own street and see your house – all this for free by using Google.

Many have raised the issue of Google encroaching on their privacy; others say that such an exposure would make it easy for burglars to identify what is on a property and how to get there. Of course, the civil libertarians and many Christians echo their slogan of the “Big Brother”.

I took the last few letters of Google and it forms the English word “Ogle” meaning “to stare at impertinently, flirtatiously, or amorously” (http://www.dictionary.com/). Is this how you feel about Google’s new feature? Has Google gone too far with technology? Do you really benefit from having the street-level view of your house as if you don’t know how your street or house looks like? Or do you feel proud and important that at last the world has public view of your private residence?

Looks like there is no hiding place anymore. Bette Midler’s rendition of the song, “From the Distance ……God is watching us”, rings in my head as I write this. The Bible does say that a time will come when people will seek to hide under rocks and caves to escape for the inescapable judgement day of God. No technology can hide us from God now or on that glorious or fateful day!

WEB 2.0 – HELLO THIS IS ME!

The advance of internet technology from text-based messaging and static content to rich multi-media interactive publishing is now the expected norm. Web 2.0 has spawned so many social networking and publishing sites. People have become famous celebrities overnight or have become the internet pariahs after one blog page.

I was reading about a chap in Australia who advised his employee that he was too sick to come to work. When the employer asked for a medical certificate, he declined stating privacy issues. Little did he realise that his boss was reading the employees’ blog post in Facebook where he was proudly claiming that he was too trashed after a booze party and didn’t feel like going to work. When confronted by his boss with the employee’s own evidence, there was nothing else he could say but to tender his resignation.

Just have a look at Facebook, Youtube and many other social networking websites and blogs. The amount of personal information, private details and video clips shared on these sites begs the question, “Does the author know (or care) that the information is now open to the rest of the world?” Or is the intent to overexpose oneself for some form of claim to fame or self-gratification?

Have you typed an email and hit the SEND button and then within seconds you want to retract that email? Yes you can use your admin privilege and delete your blog entry. But while you are doing it, your content is already published for the whole world to see.

Has Web 2.0 created a false sense of privacy or an illusion that what you have just posted on your blog only appears on your screen and won’t be seen by many? When Adam and Eve sinned and were confronted by their Maker, they did not realise that they were naked either.

Caveat Emptor - “Let the buyer beware” is the term used in making a purchase. Before you rush into Web 2.0 announcing “Hello this is me” you may need to pause and consider a Web 2.0 caveat “Let the publisher beware that you and you alone are responsible for what you publish”. Web 2.0 may have a sting in its tail and you as its target for destruction! Have you been stung by your own web content?

Disruptive Technologies - They rock your world

Don’t you hate disruptions especially when you just settled in on your favourite wooden armchair and snuggled with that frayed woollen cushion, and there is a knock on the door? You get up in a grumpy mood only to find that you have been delivered one of that luxury “Lazy-Boy” leather reclining chairs for your forthcoming birthday. It has an adjustable footrest, a button when pressed, smoothly reclines your chair to the degree you want. You are just flabbergasted but decide to return to your favourite wooden rocker.

Prof. Clayton Christensen coined the phrase, “Disruptive Technology” in 1995 to describe a simple, less expensive but innovative technology that challenges the status quo and eventually overturns it. Think of plastic that replaced wood, metal and glass, digital camera and film, disk storage and flash memory to name a few.

How you respond to disruptive technologies begs an answer. I have friends who still do not use email even though it is cheaper and faster. Bullock carts are still used alongside cars in many part of Asia today. I recently bought an excellent book on farm fencing. It has a colour front and back cover with photos but all the inside pages are scanned pages of handwritten instructions and illustration. Why bother going to a printer for this? The author could have sent me photocopies of his notes.

What technologies have disrupted your lifestyle? Which one have you adopted or are you still in still in the Dark Ages? Would you even tolerate such disruptions?

The greatest disruption Man has ever encountered was not a technology but a person called Jesus Christ. He disrupted Judaism, his sermons shook the foundations of the learned and the simple, his miracles blew peoples minds, his death disappointed his followers, and his resurrection infuriated Satan and revived the despondent disciples.

Disruptions are annoying and challenges your beliefs and the possessions you hold dear. We like things that are stale and familiar. In the wine world, noble rot is sweet! In the pig sty, mud is divine. In rotten flesh, maggots thrive. Disruptive technologies offer something better. Jesus will disrupt your world for the best.

Are you rotting nobly, enjoying the mud bath or wriggling gleefully in the stench?

Games Christians Play

Heard of Christian geeks? These are the ones who sit rigidly in front of the computer screen. There is little or no dialogue or interaction with others. Only their fingers or thumbs move in rapid-fire succession. They are playing Grand Theft Auto, games that have guns bigger than Magnums or AK45s; or games that have Satanic content such as Doom, Quake and the Resident Evil series, let alone sexually explicit games.

The graphics and contents of computer games are spectacular and realistic. The player is totally engrossed, involved and often becomes an active participant in the game. The addiction is progressive – the player cannot wait to go to the next level. Meals are often skipped, social interaction with real human beings are ignored or forgotten.

The once exciting games such as Tetris, NASCAR and Flight Simulator are no longer thrilling or challenging enough. Christian children in particular are playing these new and violent games, often unconstrained by their parents. Many Christian parents join in this “fun” with their children on their Xboxes and computers without seriously thinking about its impact or consequences.

I don’t wish to be a spoil-sport either. I do enjoy computer playing computer games. However, I do wish to raise the issues of parental control, accountability, discipline and Jesus’ warning “If your eyes cause you to offend then ……….!”

A number of Christian programmers have also attempted to develop Christian Computer games such as David & Goliath to offer clean harmless alternatives. But the commercial games developers with their market dominance and financial clout are no match for Christian entrepreneurs. The games market is estimated to be worth $55.6 billion in 2008 and Christians do not have the wherewithal to compete.

What do you think about computer & video games? How much time do you allow your children to play such games per day? Are you addicted to your computer games to the extent that it affects your time with God, your family and others?

Are computer & video games a form of idol or Satan worship or is it harmless fantasy? Do you consider me a Christian spoil-sport barking at my own shadow?