Babel Session 3: Social Network
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INTRODUCTION
we’ve been talking about over the past two weeks isn’t that technology is wrong.
While the tool of technology is not wrong, how we use it and our relationship with it matters.
Last week, we talked about how we use technology to create our own image, which can sometimes make us forget our real image—who God has already said we are.
We all get technology is amazing and can do crazy things.
Like a satellite in space that can take pictures of galaxies far beyond ours, or a robotic hand to perform surgeries on people.
Sure, that technology is impressive, and certainly it is powerful. But I want to talk about the power in the technology you and I use every day.
TENSION
A. You and I, just by owning a cell phone, have a lot of power. You and I, just by having access to social media, have a lot of power.
Technology allows us to contact hundreds of people at a time—communicating by sending messages, pictures or videos to whomever we want with a touch of a button.
We can say whatever we want, however we want, as fast as we want; our words travel through space and time in seconds.
We have the power to make someone feel really great about themselves by sending an encouraging text, or we have the power to totally break someone down by posting something terrible in our feed.
We may not think much about it but the power we have at our fingertips can make a difference in our world. It can make it better or worst.
B. Technology was designed to enhance human activity. But with all of the control we have, with all of the influence and power available to us, we have to be careful how we use it.
“With great power comes great responsibility” -Peter Parker (Spiderman)
So the question is—how are you going to use the power that is at your fingertips?
TRUTH
There is a time in the history of the people of Israel, when their rulers weren’t following God at all. In the Books of 1 and 2 Kings, we see that Israel went through a series of pretty terrible kings—kings who did not honor God and did not have the country’s best interests at heart. And the story we are going to look at today tells us just a little bit about one of the more terrible rulers of Israel.
33 Then he set up an Asherah pole. He did more to provoke the anger of the Lord, the God of Israel, than any of the other kings of Israel before him.
So Ahab did more to rile God up than any other king before him. Wow. That’s saying a lot. He’s like the Lex Luther or the White Witch or the Ursula or the President Snow of olden days. Not someone you want to mess with.
Now Ahab was married to a woman named Jezebel, and she was equally repulsive. The two of them together did some real damage.
When we pick up their story we find Ahab wanting something that belongs to a man named Naboth. (NAY bahth)
NAY bahth)
2 One day Ahab said to Naboth, “Since your vineyard is so convenient to my palace, I would like to buy it to use as a vegetable garden. I will give you a better vineyard in exchange, or if you prefer, I will pay you for it.”
At first this sounds reasonable. I mean Ahab does ask nicely, right? But there is more to the story. See, Naboth’s vineyard was more than just a typical vineyard. It was gift, an inheritance that Naboth’s ancestors had received from God Himself. And when God gave it to Naboth’s family, He also gave specific instructions about how they were not to sell this land.
3 But Naboth replied, “The Lord forbid that I should give you the inheritance that was passed down by my ancestors.”
Seems like things would be getting a little tense at this point. You can probably imagine that King Ahab doesn't like that response at all. So what does this big, powerful king do? He does what a two-year-old would do—he pouts. The Bible says he lies down on his bed, turns his head and refuses to eat any food. It is a good old-fashioned temper tantrum. But the story doesn’t end there. Enter Jezebel.
7 “Are you the king of Israel or not?” Jezebel demanded. “Get up and eat something, and don’t worry about it. I’ll get you Naboth’s vineyard!”
8 So she wrote letters in Ahab’s name, sealed them with his seal, and sent them to the elders and other leaders of the town where Naboth lived.
So the Queen fakes some letters from the King with the order of killing Naboth (NAY bahth).
NAY bahth
15 When Jezebel heard the news, she said to Ahab, “You know the vineyard Naboth wouldn’t sell you? Well, you can have it now! He’s dead!” 16 So Ahab immediately went down to the vineyard of Naboth to claim it.
We see later that the evil Queen and King get what they want at the cost of a man’s life. They used their power and influence as a means to that end.
There is no mention of computers or cell phones or anything else like that.
So what is the point for us?
In those days, there was no Twitter, Facebook, cell phones or Internet. No one back then had that type of power.
But there were people with power—people in high positions, like the king and queen, like Ahab and Jezebel.
Jezebel, uses Ahab's seal to accomplish what she wants—to get Naboth’s vineyard and to get rid of Naboth altogether.
The tools she used to accomplish her purpose then are different from the tools we have at our disposal, but the power behind them is the same. Except now the power is not limited to royalty. Now we all have the control and the ability to accomplish almost anything—good or bad.
A couple of years ago, I heard a news story about a young teenage girl named Megan who committed suicide because of something that happened on MySpace, a social media site that was popular from 2003-2009.
A mom who lived down the street from Megan created a fake MySpace account posing as a young boy who lived close by.
was popular a few years ago. A mom who lived down the street from Megan created a fake MySpace account posing as a young boy who lived close by. She basically struck up a friendship with Megan and then after about a month told her that they could no longer be friends because he heard Megan wasn’t nice to her friends. Then, this mom posing as a boy posted bulletins that said things like “Megan is a slut” and “Megan is fat” on MySpace. Remember, this is someone's mom doing this. The last message Megan received from this “boy” said, “The world would be better off without you.” Isn’t that terrible? After that, Megan took her own life.
She basically struck up a friendship with Megan and then after about a month told her that they could no longer be friends because he heard Megan wasn’t nice to her friends.
Then, this mom posing as a boy posted bulletins that said things like “Megan is a slut” and “Megan is fat” on MySpace.
Remember, this is someone's mom doing this. The last message Megan received from this “boy” said, “The world would be better off without you.” Isn’t that terrible? After that, Megan took her own life.
This mom, posing as a boy online, was not in a royal leadership position like Ahab or Jezebel. She was just a normal person who had access to the same technology and power we do, and she used that power in a really horrible way.
APPLICATION
We all have the control and the ability to accomplish almost anything—good or bad.
The power technology gives us is here to stay.
The power technology gives us is here to stay. But the more we are able to do and the more control we have, the more careful we have to be about how we use that power.
The power technology gives us is here to stay. But the more we are able to do and the more control we have, the more careful we have to be about how we use that power.
There is possibly even more at risk than ever before.
It takes no time at all to do greater harm than we have ever imagined.
that takes no time at all to do greater harm than we have ever imagined. It takes just seconds to post a nasty comment, send an e-mail we will regret later, forward a picture that could destroy someone’s reputation. Though we’re not always conscious of the impact we have through technology, it’s possible to just click, destroy, and never feel any remorse, never think through the consequences of our actions.
Get mad at someone and in seconds a nasty comment could destroy someone’s reputation. Though we’re not always conscious of the impact we have through technology, it’s possible to just click, destroy, and never feel any remorse, never think through the consequences of our actions.
Are you making the world a better place?
Are you enhancing relationships or destroying them?
Are you harming others or helping them?
People may not physically die because of our actions, like Megan or Naboth. But we have the ability to kill someone’s reputation—including our own. We have the ability to kill a friendship. We have the ability to destroy a relationship.
We can use the Internet to let people know we are praying for them. We can use our cell phones to send an encouraging text to someone who’s having a hard day.
We can use the Internet to let people know we are praying for them. We can use our cell phones to send an encouraging text to someone who’s having a hard day.
Examples of using technology for good:
Compassion or World Vision
which allow people to sponsor a child and even write to their sponsored child via the web.
Caring Bridge (www.caringbridge.org)
that allow people to follow along on someone’s journey battling a serious health issue.
Plenty of ways we can use technology to shine God’s light in the world. So the question is,
How are you using technology in your relationship with others?
How are you using technology in your relationship with others?
Are you making the world a better place?
Are you enhancing relationships or destroying them?
Are you harming others or helping them?
LANDING
We are not saying you need to cut yourself off from everything electrical and rebel against the culture.
But what we have asked you to do these three weeks is evaluate the role technology has in your life.
Be careful of the technology you own that you don’t allow it to have too much control over you.
I want you to leave knowing that the power technology gives us affects how we relate to one other—for better or for worse.