Wednesday, October 04, 2006

The first trickle....

This, my first blog, is an assignment for a media class I am taking as part of the John Paul II Media Institute in Halifax, NS.

The goal of the institute?

The immediate goal of the institute is to train and equip young people who have
an interest in and skills for digital media creation... Those who complete
the institute would make themselves available to the local church for the
creation of media that would advance the Kingdom of God.

I have a history of involvement with media and technology of various types, and am participating in this course as a result of the realization that the church has as much to do with the state of the media as the media does. Namely, the church has walled itself off from the media, deeming it secular and treating it like the plague.

Consequently, the church has no real meaningful presence in the world of the media, and sees only periodic forays into media territory (see Mel Gibson's the Passion of the Christ).

The English philosopher Edmund Burke once said, "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” This is one of my favourite quotations, and it spurs me to be proactive about my faith, representing Christ credibly in my work and life, and to engage in affecting change in areas in which I see injustice, inequity or imbalance.

I believe media, or the means of communication, is amoral, or that it has no intrinsic roots in good or evil. It merely exists, and can be leverage by anyone, regardless of their motive. I am weary of hearing Christians bemoan the absence of media that celebrates truth, goodness and beauty, yet are unwilling to make any moves to influence the world of media.

In participating in this course, I am hoping to become conversant in the language and thinking of media and competent with its essential tools and structures, so that I have a shared platform with those who work in and with media to share my faith in meaningful relationship and dialogue.

I'm tired of having to lob intellectual and theological hand grenades over dividing walls at people who I can't really see for who they are (and vice versa). I'm not afraid of questions, or of being around people who don't share my faith or passions. How can questions be answered or people become familiar with the real face of faith, believers who are daily following Christ, if we aren't front and center in their lives in authentic relationships and speaking in ways that are accessible and meaningful to them?

Romans 10:14 But how can they call on him to save them unless
they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never
heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them?


This is a small first step on a journey to increased personal relevance in sharing my faith with people and making Jesus known through people seeing him at work in my life, work and creativity.

Watch out world of media. We're coming, and we're ready to hug you....

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