Historically, advancements in technology have contributed to large cultural shifts. Such was the case during the Reformation when the church impacted the direction of the entire western world. The underpinnings of the Reformation emerged in the 14th century when John Wycliffe popularized the belief that the Word of God contained the entirety of God’s revelation. As a result, he and his contemporaries dreamed of a day when the Bible would be in the hands and hearts of all people, not merely the clergy. To accomplish this goal, they sought to translate the Bible into the language of the people so that the Gospel could be rediscovered by the laity. During Wycliffe’s day and the centuries prior, all Bibles were hand-copied and took a scribe about ten months to pen a complete translation. This meant that copies of the Bible were relatively rare, thus making Wycliffe’s vision difficult to attain.

In God’s providence, the emphasis on the centrality of the Word of God initiated by Wycliffe and others was divinely timed for an age when it would soon become possible for mass production of the Bible. The Reformation of the 16th Century was propelled by Johannes Gutenberg’s invention of the  printing press in the 1400s. Through this new technology, Wycliffe’s dream of putting the Bible in the hands of the people became attainable. The new technology, coupled with the church’s embrace, empowered the proclamation of the Gospel and enabled massive cultural shifts in Europe.

The Information Age

Just as the printing press shifted who had access to the Bible, today’s digital revolution is shaping the world through mass access to information. The  world is no longer dominated by farms or factories but by the glowing windows to the world we carry in our pockets. While we can look back on the  14th through 17th centuries with some clarity and see the impact of the introduction of the printing press, we cannot look into the future and foresee all the ways in which the digital revolution will affect our world.

Since the beginning of the digital age, we can see that the world seems much smaller; we are connected to people and ideas that were previously a world apart. The digital revolution has given a proverbial megaphone to everyone to broadcast beliefs and perspectives, thus crowding the world with ideas. This makes listening for the Truth (capital “T”) more difficult as it is drowned out in a sea of other voices. Wisdom and discernment are skills that we must acquire to navigate this new world.

The Reformers’ use of technology for the proclamation of the Gospel enabled Christian ideals to transform culture. Understanding the cusp of change at which we stand, the church today can utilize technology in the same manner. Leveraging technology in the 21st century requires cultural imagination to determine how to walk in the footsteps of Jesus with our digital footprint.

Ways to Engage Technology

Here are four simple ways to utilize technology today.

  1. Study God’s Word. The printing press put Bibles in the hands of laity in Europe. Apple has put access to the Bible in every pocket. Anyone who owns a smartphone can wield the sword of God’s Word at all times. All that is required is downloading a Bible app! Personally, I recommend that Christians download the YouVersion Bible App, which is available in the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store. YouVersion is a free app that provides hundreds of translations of the Scriptures as well as free reading plans produced by pastors, authors and speakers. The app will even remind you to read the Bible, helping you to develop the discipline to engage daily in God’s Word.
  2. Access Historic Christian Thought. The printing press made the Bible and the best Christian thought at the time available to the masses. The internet has made some of the greatest classic Christian literature available to us for free in the Public Domain. Consequently, some of the most influential publications in historic Christian thought can be downloaded free from the Apple iBooks Store and the Kindle Store or simply by reading through an internet browser. Authors such as St. Augustine, R.C. Sproul, John Calvin and many others are available by digital download.
  3. Share Your Faith. Social Media is a place to share your favorite ideas, memes, videos and pictures (especially of food?). It’s also a place to share your faith in Jesus Christ in winsome and compelling ways. If you understand your influence, know your audience, and think about ways in which you can share what God is teaching you with those whom you are connected online, you can use this new platform for God’s kingdom purposes. Oh yeah, and if you are on Facebook be sure to follow our Facebook page and share our inspirational posts and upcoming events.
  4. Be Incarnational. Discern when it’s time to disconnect from the digital world in order to engage in deeper human connection in the flesh. In a world where in-person social interaction is no longer expected, your physical presence, eye contact and attention may actually have more influence. Perhaps in the world of exceptional digital connection, Christians can be the prophetic voice reminding our culture how important it is to be present with one another, undistracted. Christians ought to be the best examples of giving our full attention to those around us without being distracted by those  glowing rectangles. Think about focused listening, eye contact, and intentional gathering in the flesh as a sacred part of God’s ministry in the world.

The digital revolution will have an impact on the world around us; it already has. Christians can leverage it for Kingdom purposes while maintaining a prophetic voice, uplifting the values that are truly important. Let’s own it, but not be owned by it.

by Pastor Brad Rogers