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| Submitted: Monday, September 21, 2009; 5:14 p.m. print this page ● feedback ● main ALSBOM site |
More than 200 million people use the social network called
Facebook! If Facebook were a nation, it would be the fifth or
sixth largest country in the world. Twitter is not nearly as
large in number, but this means of networking socially is
growing in influence.
Just last summer, some in Iran who took to streets protesting
the election results used Twitter to send pictures and messages
to the rest of the world. Due to government restrictions, this
was about the only way they could connect with the outside
world. Perhaps that was a tipping point for Twitter. It has now
become more popular in usage.
For Southern Baptists and other evangelicals, Twitter has been
used as another way of sharing insights about Scripture,
opportunities for ministries and brief news updates. In this
sense, I have found Twitter to be helpful.
As an example, Florida pastor Ken Whitten recently sent this
tweet to his followers: "If you want to go fast, go alone. If
you want to go far, go together." That simple statement of
philosophy is a good leadership observation. I will quote it
over and over again in the future.
I try to use Twitter as a means of focusing my thoughts in a
simple form. One of my more recent tweets is an illustration of
this kinship with such expressions, "Let passion drive you, and
let reason hold the reins."
However, I will admit, that like other things in life, tweeting
can be a distraction. It is just another tool for the work.
Utilizing Twitter as a means of connecting and communicating
with others is the healthiest way to make use of it in your life
and ministry as a Christian leader.
Do I recommend it to others? I do so only with some important
caveats. Don't tweet and drive! That is sheer lunacy! Don't
tweet in the middle of a conversation with someone. To do so is
akin to saying, "I am bored with you."
If you use Twitter on your handheld device, keep it on vibrate
so you will not interrupt others in meetings. In fact, I almost
always have my BlackBerry on vibrate. I can't stand the sound of
a phone ringing. Those who know me will vouch for the fact that
I despise having phones ringing in a meeting of any kind.
Let me recommend an occasional "Twitter fast." There are times I
choose to get away from the whole technological experience of
tweeting, communicating by BlackBerry and so forth.
Once learned, tweeting can be done in a brief 30-second period.
It does not have to be a time waster. You don't have to read
everything you receive. There is a "delete" key too. You don't
have to be a prolific sender. Like a vitamin, once a day may be
more than enough for you.
Well, as you can tell, I don't know much about the topic, so
like Forrest Gump, "That's all I am going to say about it."
| Submitted: Tuesday, September 1, 2009; 5:26 p.m. print this page ● feedback ● main ALSBOM site |
For some, the summer of 1969 is memorable because of the moon
landing. Astronaut Neil Armstrong's first words as he walked on
the lunar surface still echo through time: "one small step for
man, one giant leap for mankind." That was an eventful moment
for Americans and all people of the world.
For others, the infamous Charles Manson murders define the
summer of 69. To this day, those horrendous killings represent a
surreal time for civilized people who cannot understand the
senseless actions by a band of irrational followers of a
maniacal man called Charles Manson. I am numbered among those
who feel that way.
Still others look back longingly or inquisitively to the summer
of '69 as a controversial cultural festival called Woodstock.
This gathering of hundreds of thousands of young people has
become a focal point of study for socio-historians and other
learned observers. They seek to make it a hermeneutic of the
time.
For me, the summer of '69 was a time when I had to grow up
quickly. On Labor Day weekend my father died from a
post-operative complication, and my world changed radically. I
had not yet attended my first day of classes at Samford. My
mother, who passed away last year, was in a period of major
shock. I was young and impressionable, seeking some kind of
stability in the midst of this crisis.
I think about my father almost every day. I especially remember
him on such anniversaries. This is a big anniversary for me.
Four decades have passed, and many years of experiences have
come my way. Yet I pause and reflect over the brief time we had
together as father and son.
My father was a WWII veteran, who was a crew member on the
Flying Fortress, a B17. He served his time for his country, and
he came home to build a life. He worked hard with limited
education. His devotion to the Lord and his service as a deacon
impressed his son and led to introspection as to what the Lord
wanted for his young life.
By the time of my father's passing, he had heard my earliest
sermons. Many more were to come. In many ways, I have felt a bit
impoverished by the fact that he was not there to witness some
of the high points of my life and ministry. When Pam and I
married, my dad was not able to be the "best man." When our
girls were born, his absence was also felt.
Indeed, the summer of '69 is very well remembered by me. I
recall with pride the lunar landing and the first walk by Neil
Armstrong. I was shocked by the Charles Manson murders. The
Woodstock event left me mystified. However, that Labor Day in
1969 changed my life. Every time I hear the description "the
summer of '69," I recall the passing of a role model, my father.
That was the summer of '69 for me.
