Digital Divide

For this week's reflection in my Gospel and Global Media Culture class we were asked to reflect on the key question:

"How can communities of faiths draw on denominational/theological statements to advocate for easing or even erasing digital divides?"  

This bears breaking down a bit further for clarification.  What is a digital divide?  A digital divide is best defined by Susan Crawford as she talks about her book Captive Audience, which refers to the chasm that exists between those who can afford to purchase access to the internet and the devices needed to access it, and those who cannot.   Crawford remarks that this is an issue of justice, because so much of our economy revolves around being connected via the web.  Job applications, applications for benefits, etc, require one be connected.  And this is not just about getting onto social networks, online shopping, and catching up on cat videos. This is the very engine that powers our economy and is the thing on which self-sufficiency is built.

To break this down even further, I would like to share some of my personal experiences from my past work in human services.  In order to get food stamps or other benefits, you can only apply online.  Okay.  You do not have a computer at home.  You go to the library.  In order to use public computers you must have a library card, which probably requires that you prove your address with a utilities bill or get a statement from your case manager that states that you are homeless.  If you don't have an ID card, you won't necessarily be able to get a library card either.  At any rate, you won't be able to get onto the computer that day.  If you manage to get that information you go back to the library and find that you can sign up for a one hour time slot.  But there are several people ahead of you and the wait is three hours.  In your one hour time slot you start an application, but since you don't know much about computers, it is pretty difficult to accomplish anything.  You leave vowing to come back the next day.  Except you don't have any bus fare.  Or childcare.  In order to get assistance with your utilities and stay in your home, you have to call at exactly the right time, which is 9:00am.  Except you have an appointment at the food bank this morning which you have waited for two weeks to receive and can't stay near your home phone (which is funded by a grant from your city as an emergency-only service). You don't have a cell phone because you cannot afford one.    So you have to make the difficult decision of feeding your family right now or getting help with your gas bill.  These are just two examples of things I encountered over and over again.

Your sense of digital divide is further exacerbated when you try and apply for jobs or even if you are offered a job, you must have computer skills.  Maybe you have been incarcerated and have very few computer skills.  Maybe you are a senior citizen with little reason or desire to use computers, but now that you are facing unemployment and debt in what should be your retirement years, you have to learn in order to continue working.  Maybe English is not your first language.  Maybe mental illness, post-traumatic stress, or other health concerns cause you anxiety about being online.  Even if you have a laptop, computer skills, and the desire to get online, most places that advertise "free wi-fi" are coffee shops and you must actually purchase something while you are there.  So if you cannot afford your own access at home, you still have to pay for it somewhere.  I agree with Crawford, access to the internet is not a luxury.  It is a necessity and it is an issue of social justice.

There are many excellent non-profit organizations providing computer access and computer skills classes, I used to work for one, Denver Urban Ministries, teaching computer classes and job skills.  I do not think it is the responsibility of faith communities to duplicate services already being offered elsewhere.  I do think the answer for communities of faith is to direct their resources (financial and volunteer) towards organizations who are already doing excellent work.

But I think it is the responsibility of communities of faith to look at their stated convictions and act accordingly with their time, talents, and treasure.  At the very minimum, this means setting aside the free-market mentality that dominates our culture and realizing our responsibilities to one another in the interconnected body of Christ.

 In my research, I discovered two social statements from the ELCA that could be applicable here.  Both are a little dated, particularly with as quickly as our wired world progresses.  The statement on Economic Life: Sufficient and Sustainable Livelihood for All (1999) recognizes that increased prosperity for some has the flip side of increased misery for more vulnerable people.  It also acknowledges that not all benefit from capitalism, and boldly states, "we affirm that God promises a world where there is enough for everyone, if we would only learn how to use and share what God has given for the sake of all."

The other social statement from the ELCA that applies is the statement on Education (2007) which advocates for equal and quality access to education for all people as it relates to the command to serve out one's vocation.  To the glory of God we are to fulfill our role in the priesthood of all believers, and education allows for this to be actualized.  This statement makes a commitment to ensuring high-quality education for all children as a justice issue.

All that is to say that the problem of digital divide is systematic and complex.  And I am not at all convinced that churches are poised to take the lead in lessening or erasing it when we are still having hotheaded debates about whether or not the church newsletter should be electronic and if churches should have an account on Facebook and if the pastor has a twitter account.  The ELCA has already made some powerful statements about social justice, but I fear that we are too entrenched in our own fears about technology to effect any real change on a level of justice.

Any thoughts?

Prayer in Digital Media

              (Baby Jesus Prayer-Talladega Nights, clean version in case anyone is easily offended)

I am pretty sure that I am not the only person who immediately went to thinking about the Prayer to Baby Jesus in the Will Ferrell movie Talladega Nights when we started talking about the representation of prayer in digital medai, and in particular  Joe Nelms' prayer as referenced on the IC2643 course site.  I'm not convinced that Nelms' prayer is really a prayer at all, it seems more like an advertisement/shout-out to sponsors and a joke referencing the Talladega nights video.  Enjoy!

Moving along, there seems to be three major representations of prayer in digital media.

First, the sort of prayer that desires to be as inclusive as possible, such as Gene Robinson's prayer at 2009 Inauguration.  Gene Robinson is a retired Episcopal Bishop, and the first openly gay Episcopal bishop, and his appointment in 2003 was a source of much controversy in the Episcopal church.   This prayer begins with an address of "God of our many understandings"and includes petitions for social justice, as well as support for the LGBTQ community, and ends with a petition, "every religion's god judges us by the way we care for the most vulnerable."  Robinson seeks to create an open space for prayer and emphasize that the role of a leader (both in prayer, and on behalf of President Obama) is not about dividing people, but bringing them together.

There is another sort of public prayer, the kind that does not necessarily forcefully advocate for a specific religion, but makes assumptions about the religious convictions of those present.   Rick Warren's prayer, also at the 2009 Inauguration, is an example of this.  He stated scripture, said that all people and nations would be subject to God's judgment, and pleaded for forgiveness for the sins of all. His use of language carries a set of assumptions about the Christian faith.  An interesting observation from this video is that Rick Warren called for all to pray the Lord's prayer, and yet, when the camera panned the crowd, very few people, including President Obama, were praying along.

The third type of public prayer appears to operate from a position of defensiveness and a desire to prove one's religion as above others.  Bradlee Dean's prayer to Minnesota House Chamber is a representation of this. Bradlee Dean used the address "father God" at least a dozen times, and only referenced Christians in his prayer as being people of faith, as well as closing the prayer with the statement "Jesus is the head of the denomination, as every president up until 2008 has acknowledged", a not-too-subtle dig at President Obama.  As a side note, if I was Mr. Dean and invited to pray on behalf of the MN House of the Representatives, I would have worn something besides a rumpled nylon tracksuit.

With regards to my own personal prayer practices in digital cultures, the most important takeaway is to remember never to make assumptions about your hearers/digital congregation.  I think this applies to real life as well.   My pastor has referenced her work as, "I am not responsible for what people believe, but I am responsible for what they hear."  Therefore, clearly communicating your prayer is important.  If you are going to make bold theological claims about the identity of God in your prayers, do so unapologetically.  This is why I respect Rick Warren.  Additionally, while prayers are not a time for advancing a particular agenda (I'm looking at you, Bradlee Dean), there should be a forum for discussion, clarification, or deeper prayer.

Just as a pastor might pray for a specific need in the congregation, and members can follow up, digital prayers should provide space for commenting.  All of the prayer videos except Bradlee Dean's had comments enabled.  While looking at comments is usually tiresome for me, I rather enjoyed it this time around.  In the midst of all the typical anti-Christian rants and pro-Christian diatribes, there were people who were raising their own prayers and advancing the prayers in each video.  That is a beautiful, organic outgrowth of digital media.

Life from behind a screen

There is a picture that is floating around the interwebs right now of St. Peter's square at the time that the name of the pope was announced in 2005, and again in 2013. (I would attempt to post the picture, credited to NBC news, but blogger is acting up and giving me fits today and locks me out every time I attempt to post a picture.)  In 2013, everyone appears to be recording the event from behind their smartphone.  My tremendously gifted friend Keith Anderson wrote a blog about this event, This is the world you live (and lead) in now.

I wonder if I would be doing the same thing if I was there, and I am awfully ashamed to admit that I probably would be.  I default to living life from behind a screen.  And it makes me wonder what I am missing when I set out with the intent of never missing anything at all.  Because for all of these videos that I have taken, I have never really looked back at them.  I wonder if this is merely a symptom of the discontent and impermanence that accompanies post-modernity.  Everything feels unstable and impermanent and we try to cling to anything.

Do you agree?

What you have you missed in an attempt to never miss anything?

Empowering Communities of Care

A little bit of life fighting
through an interminable season of
cold and darkness. 

This week in my Gospel and Global Media Culture class we were asked to look at the site Caring Bridge as a case study for engaging in community care by way of digital media.  We were asked to think missionally about our presence in such sites and what that means for our ministry in empowering communities of care.

Caring Bridge provides an opportunity for people experiencing a serious illness or injury to share regular updates with their communities of support. In their own words or the words of those closest to them.  It allows for a centralized location to disseminate updates so that everyone who cares about a certain individual has access to correct information, and that the person experiencing illness or injury does not have to tell their story over and over again.  It also provides a place for friends and loved ones to leave messages of support in a location that does not demand an immediate response.   In my experience in social work and in CPE, I have learned that having agency on any level with regards to one's personal situation in a time of crisis can be hard to come by.  Caring Bridge allows someone to tell their own story in their own words.  They can choose what to share and what not to share.

For all of these reasons, Caring Bridge is useful for the minister to begin a dialogue of pastoral care, but the nature of public church leadership demands that we go beyond merely keeping updated on Caring Bridge posts or occasionally making comments in the guestbook on such a site.  Ministry is tremendously relational, and as church leaders, we as ministers must take initiative to reach out to those in our communities of care.  Caring Bridge is a useful place to start conversation, but it cannot be where the conversation ends. Many people feel vulnerable and ashamed to ask for help when they are experiencing illness or injury.  It falls to the pastor to ask if this individual wants to have a visit, then, there is an option to exercise personal choice in a situation where there are so many things outside their control.  It is not possible for the average pastor to be on top of every conceivable pastoral care concern, but this is where the body of Christ comes in.  If a community knows that their pastor cares deeply about them, they will come to her/him in time of need and encourage others to do the same.  It becomes a missional activity.  Social Media is particularly advantageous in helping pastors keep abridge of what is going on with their people.  Best practices for all social media usage by minsters still apply to utilizing Caring Bridge.  But above all, Caring Bridge provides the opportunity for the minister to have a jumping off point in the caring relationship, as well as have a better idea of what the individual's larger support network looks like.  I think it is a very useful tool when utilized to enhance traditional pastoral care relationships, but definitely does not replace them.

Additionally, I received a very interesting piece of advice from a pastoral care professor about a year ago in a funeral praxis.  He suggested setting an alert in your phone or electronic calendar about one month, six months, and one year after the death or serious diagnosis of a congregation member/their close family member.  Caring Bridge sites can help you keep track of these dates.  You can just send a short email or note by mail, but having this very simple outreach can make a world of difference in a time of unbearable grief.

A New Pope and Social Media

Credit: Joe Raedle/Getty Images

It has been fascinating to watch the news unfold this afternoon as a new pope, Francis I, a Jesuit from Argentina, named Jorge Bergoglio, was elected to lead the Catholic church.  I am not a Catholic, nor do I agree with the patriarchal structure of the Catholic Church, but I am hopeful.  This man seems to be humble and committed to social justice.  Apparently he is also pretty conservative, but the fact that he a Jesuit (never happened before) and the first modern day pope not from Europe, and didn't take a previous name, instead picked a brand new one,  gives me hope that maybe, just maybe, change is afoot.

What is even more fascinating is how the social media world exploded with this news.  It started with posts of "white smoke..."  then evolved into anxious waiting about when he would emerge onto the balcony, and when it was announced that he was from Argentina and a Jesuit and was taking the name Francis I, all sorts of exclamations about how this was hopeful.  Then once it was discovered that he was conservative, some disappointment, but it has all been followed by prayers.  I enjoy this sort of digital presence.  My friends all over the world (Catholic and non), and I am definitely doing the same, are excitedly retweeting and devouring all sorts of news.

Eight years ago, when the last pope was elected, there was no twitter, Facebook was still in its infancy, and our news still came from broadcast media sources.  But the new pope is already tweeting. In Spanish.

The Digital Body of Christ

Last week at Luther Seminary's convocation, I had a new experience.   I had just had breakfast with a friend of mine from Denver who was visiting for the conference.  As we were walking back to campus, he said that he wanted to introduce me to some of his friends from seminary who would also be attending the conference.  He introduced me to his friends Colin and Jeni, who said to me, "I feel like I already know you.  We follow each other on twitter."  I have definitely connected with other people by way of social media and we are friends in the digital world, but rarely have I had the opportunity to meet these friends in real life.  But now I have new friends near Fargo-Moorhead and a standing invitation to visit, not to mention two new badass pastor colleagues.

My life has been decidedly enriched by social media.  As defined by Keith Anderson and Elizabeth Drescher's book, Click2Save, I am most certainly a digital native.  I have had a blog since 2005, have been on twitter for about three years, and Facebook for seven years. I have set-up a Tumblr account, but find that it is not necessary for me at this point.  I don't even think twice about using any of these platforms.  It intuitively makes sense to me.  I was excited to read Click2Save, because my friendship with Keith also came about through social media.  He was the keynote speaker at my Synod's theological conference last year.  I can't remember who friended who on Facebook now.
When the book that he co-authored was official published I sent him a congratulatory tweet. This is absolutely unprecedented and makes for an exciting digital frontier.  Social media is a place for connection and relationship building and growing in the body of Christ.

Upon reading Click2Save from cover to cover, I wrote Keith on Facebook:

"My initial observation is that as a person just on the cusp of Gen-X/Millenial, I am very surprised at how my native context informs so much of how I view the world, take in information and put forth information. I live the world that you talk about in the the text with little or no extra effort on my part. I never thought about how much I post on various social media platforms, I just do so. I never thought about using or not using social media to connect with community, it is just a given.  I would be curious to get your impressions of how the book has been received by the baby boomer crowd and how it has informed your preaching and ministry."  

He responded (I don't want to quote a personal conversation here without his permission, so I will summarize): 

Because the prevailing demographic of congregations is older, and much of the ministry that we do is to this demographic, this book is useful in navigating generational differences and explaining what you do instinctively to an older set that does not naturally operate in this way.  

However, social media usage can also have a dark side, but that is a post for another day.