By all appearances we have made communication into a kind of cultural idol. In most cases it is not Facebook or the cell phone that is the idol. Instead, they serve as enablers, as enhancers, of the greater idol of communication. Christians have proven to be far from immune to this idol, from following along as the culture around us becomes obsessed with communication and dedicates vast amounts of time and resources to it. Christians will do well to remember that in God’s economy communication is but a means to the far greater, far more noble end of enjoying God so we can bring glory to him. Communication can detract from this purpose just as easily as it can serve this purpose.
Challies offers up some interesting points, noting how communication, via media like cell phones and Facebook, consumes users' lives. In fact, he points out, communication itself has become an idol.
I wouldn't disagree with him, but I think I'd take it one step further. Today, we often point to money as an idol, and so it often is. And while some people hoard money and worship it, more often it is a means to obtain the material possessions that people ultimately want and then worship as idols--houses, boats, cars, expensive vacations, clothes, technology. In a similar sense, communication becomes the tool for obtaining the ultimate idol.
We've always had the ability to communicate, but, as Challies points out, "the scope of [communication], the speed of it and the reach of it" have changed. "It is now the dominant paradigm through which we live our lives."
So as I observe teens (and even not teens) devoting their energies to texting, I note that one of the things they're accomplishing is reminding someone who isn't with them that they're there. That absent person's response implies significance, importance: "You're so important to me that even though I'm not physically with you, I'm still communicating with you as much as I want. If I'm important to you, you'll text back." So you do, because if you fail to acknowledge the sender's significance, she might someday fail to acknowledge yours.
And on Facebook, a young wife and mother broadcasts her anger at her church for all the world to see, never mind the appropriate channels for expressing an offense given to us in Matthew 18. A businessman, husband, and father known as a leader in his church posts lewd, locker-room humor--again, for all the world to see. Young women post pictures of themselves scantily clothed in provocative poses, as though they were modeling for lingerie ads or escort services. A young man, rebelling against his parents, proudly announces his latest immoral activity, using language that is coarse, offensive, R-rated at best.
Communication serves only as the vehicle to bring these people who are sacrificing their principles, integrity, and reputation to the actual idol: self, affirmation, attention--the spotlight.
This becomes clear in a sad situation that occurred over the weekend. A young man who was headed for his freshman year in college in a few weeks died suddenly, accidentally, tragically last Friday. He was an athlete, a musician, an excellent student who would make any parent proud. He was full of promise. He was my daughter's close friend. And as soon as word got out that Joel had died, his Facebook was filled with the sentiments of seemingly anyone, whether they had truly been his friend or not. While many of the messages were sincere in their sorrow, one message that made me cringe especially was a young woman's expression of her excitement that Joel was now with Jesus, and, unfortunately, she wasn't the only one leaving such odd thoughts. (Young lady who posted this: if you see this boy's parents or sisters, please do not tell them that you are excited that he is with Jesus. You will leave them with yet another ugly memory on top of all the other ugly memories this incident will leave them with.) And I've digressed. But my point is this: Who were these people leaving sentiments for? Joel is dead--yes, with Jesus. He can no longer access his Facebook account or read the kind sentiments that people are leaving for . . . him? Is it possible that these messages serve another purpose?
So yes, in the sense that money is an idol that leads to other idols, communication has become an idol that leads to other idols. Instead of striving to have things, though, the communication-driven idol has more to do with being--being noticed, being affirmed, being in the spotlight. And it probably brings us closer to what any idol obviously leads us to worship: ourselves.
