Media is made to influence. In the modern era, digital communication has been crowned the king of media, and as such, rules over many different strategies across all sectors, from nonprofit organizations, to Fortune 500 companies, to private use. With this surge in digital communication, the world has been unarguably dramatically altered. People communicate faster and information is more readily available, causing the world to shrink down to a few clicks away. With this reality in mind, what duties, considerations, and philosophies are Christian digital communication media influencers bound by? How are they to steward digital communication in such a way as to stand out as good and faithful servants for the Kingdom of God? What can they do to be both successful and ethically pleasing to God in this mainly secular sector? While these questions do not have quick and easy answers, it is extremely important to still ponder them and strive towards excellence in stewarding the media which has been given to this modern age.
Creative Agents
The very first verse of the Bible describes how God “created the heavens and the earth” (Gen 1:1, NIV). This is an important concept to keep in mind as a few verses later, God also creates man in his “own image” (Gen 1:26, NIV). For this reason, man is creative. He was built to create, built to exude the nature of his creator through his creation. As Wayne Grudem once said, “Our likeness to God is also seen in our human creativity in areas such as art, music, and literature, and in scientific and technological inventiveness” (Grudem, 1994, p.447). While God has generously poured out creative instincts into all mankind, as a Christian, this should be all the more evident, as God, the most creative of all beings, resides in his children in the form of the Holy Spirit. As Stuart Devenish argues in Creativity and Spirituality: A Multidisciplinary Perspective (edited by Miner), “The question of whether there is a ‘Christian’ imagination which is distinct from the typical non-Christian human imagination is an important one. Garrett Green argues that what characterizes the Christian imagination from all other types of imagination is not so much that Christians adopt a different technique of imagining but that they draw from a distinct meaning-making paradigm that gives distinctive shape and direction to its range of imaginative possibilities (Green, 1989, p. 84). The Christian imagination has at its center what John Calvin called the sensus divinitatis (the sense of God) (Calvin, 1960, pp. 1, 43–44.). No longer limited to a one-dimensional world-and-life view, the Christian outlook on life is one which is undertaken sub specie aeternitas (from the perspective of eternity)” (Miner, 2017, p. 29). Christians therefore have an edge in the realm of creativity, and should therefore use it not solely for the betterment of one’s own career, but rather for the betterment of the Kingdom of God. This is the overarching purpose of all communication, including communication through the means of digital technology. While many Christians have leaned away from digital communication for the bad rap that it has received in recent days, this is not necessarily biblical. God is alive and at work in digital technology. As Abraham Kuyper once said in his address to the Free University, “There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human life of which Christ, who is sovereign of all, does not cry: ‘Mine!’” (Kuyper, 1880). God will use anything and everything to bring his children back to himself and advance his kingdom. That includes digital communication. Christians in this industry have an obligation and a duty to learn responsible and ethical digital communication to such an excellent degree that everyone who is reached by their communication knows that there has to be a higher purpose to which that professional was called. The “why” for creativity in the digital communication realm for the modern Christian must be to advance the Kingdom of God. While many other goals can and do exist, they must all kneel before the purpose of the Kingdom.
Primary Values
It is extremely important to consider the values that contribute towards the final purpose of advancing the Kingdom of God. While there are many contributors, there are three that stand out, and under which most other values fall when engaging with digital technology. These values are excellence, integrity, and compassion. With these traits, one has the ability to stand out as noble and pure in a generation that is filled with darkness. One has the ability to be a light, fulfilling the goal to advance God’s Kingdom.
Excellence is a quality is that is often overlooked in Christian circles. Excellence is the highest standard to which someone can what they do. Christians cannot afford to lose their pursuit of excellence. As Martin Luther King Jr. once said while addressing a group of students at Barratt Junior High School, “In your life’s blueprint you must have as the basic principle the determination to achieve excellence in your various fields of endeavor. You’re going to be deciding as the days, as the years unfold what you will do in life — what your life’s work will be. Set out to do it well” (Luther King Jr., 1967). Martin Luther King Jr.’s statement coincides with Paul the Apostle, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not human masters” (Col 2:23, NIV). The effect that excellence has on the secular world cannot be overstated. A Christian should do their work to such a high degree as to attract all people, Christian and non-Christian alike, and draw them closer to God. This idea is summarized by Jesus Christ on the Sermon on the Mount, “In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matt 5:16, NIV). In the realm of digital communication, there has recently been a surge of less than excellent media content. People are getting bombarded by false advertisement and fake news. By providing uplifting, engaging, and enlightening content, a Christian in the media industry has an unprecedented potential to be “salt and light” (Matt 5:13-16, NIV) in a spiritually dark industry.
Another value which should be innate to the Christian as they engage the world of digital media communication is integrity, or the highest standard of honesty, fairness, and consistency in dealing with everyone, regardless of who they are. Barbara Killinger, the author of Integrity: Doing the Right Thing for the Right Reason, states the practicality of integrity in her book, “In practical terms, the concept of wholeness requires us to see not only the ‘big picture’ but also all the variables involved in a difficult situation. To possess integrity, we must be willing to resist the temptation to focus selectively only on information or aspects that fit our own experience, self-serving needs, or narrowly held views. There is no integrity in saying one thing and doing another. To be predictable to ourselves and others, our spoken and written words must be consistent with our subsequent choices of action or behaviour. Issues of trust are fundamentally important in our relationships within marriage and the family, as well as in the wider world of commerce where the honouring of contractual agreements is essential to fair trade and profitable dealings” (Killinger, 2007, p.13). Integrity should lead to an overall consistency in the life of a person, including the life of a Christian working in the digital media industry. Faith should not be separated from work in this area. Whatever the job is, it should be done with a deeply rooted commitment to truth. King Solomon also reflected on this fact, “The Lord detests lying lips, but he delights in people who are trustworthy” (Prov 12:22, NIV). This integrity should be at the core of the Christian professional in the media industry. Their public must never have to question the accuracy of the information being given, it must be a well known and upheld ideal that all viewpoints have been considered and all facts have been checked. While this value may seem like it goes unnoticed, in the end, it will be a light and stand out as a strong, courageous, and much needed breath of fresh air in the media industry.
Lastly, compassion is a value that, if implemented in digital communication, has eternal impact on advancing God’s Kingdom. Compassion is the virtue of being able to feel and think from the perspective of another person who may not have had the same experiences and love them in that. In his letter to the people of Colossae, Paul emphasizes this, “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience” (Col 3:12, NIV). Paul argues in this that compassion should be something that Christians continuously clothe themselves with, taking it with them wherever they go. C.S. Lewis unpacked this idea further in God in the Dock, “Love is not affectionate feeling, but a steady wish for the loved person’s ultimate good as far as it can be obtained” (Lewis, 1972, p. 48). Lewis is arguing the fact that to love someone is to seek their ultimate good. In the digital media industry, showing love and compassion to people it of utmost importance. In this fallen world, every person has hardships. Being sensitive to those in online communication means that the digital media professional does not alienate anyone, even if they do not believe the same things. As Dietrich Bonhoeffer once said in his Letters and Papers from Prison, “We must learn to regard human beings less in the terms of what they do and neglect to do, and more in the terms of what they suffer” (Bonhoeffer, 1951, p.45). This is really all that compassion is about: thinking of people in the light of their past and present sufferings. If this ideal was accomplished, there would be a far less need for crisis management PR and far less obstacles placed in the way of someone coming to know Christ.
End Goal
Like most things in this world, digital media is a double-edged sword. On one hand, it is a stunning technological development, bringing the world into easy reach, and creating an equality in access to information. As the World Economic Forum’s report on Digital Media and Society mentioned, “Much of the impact of this heightened use is beneficial to both individuals and society. It is enabling unprecedented levels of communication, social interaction and community building across boundaries of time, place and social context. It is enabling individuals and speeding up the democratization of knowledge” (Nayyar, 2016, p.26). On the other hand, it has led to problems in society. The overuse and over reliance on digital media has contributed to an surge in suicide, depression, low-self esteem, human trafficking, and many other horrible flaws in society. A report made by Preventive Medicine Reports in 2018 stated, “Among 14- to 17-year-olds, high users of screens (7+ h/day vs. low users of 1 h/day) were more than twice as likely to ever have been diagnosed with depression, ever diagnosed with anxiety, treated by a mental health professional or have taken medication for a psychological or behavioral issue in the last 12 months” (Twenge, 2018, p.1). While this is true with almost any technological development, these are still important things to consider. Digital media technology will not be slowing down anytime soon. The trends show that people love to use digital media, and it makes lives easier. As technology continues to advance, the negative side effects of these developments will more than likely continue to grow. People will likely continue in the misuse of digital media, increasing the depravity that soon comes after. The field of digital media is not a hopeless cause, however. While the darkness continues to grow, so does the chance to be a light. As John says in the Bible, “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:5, NIV). While new technology continues to develop and then be used for purposes that are evil, the church and individual Christians can rise up and use it for good. If Christians in the digital media world would be dedicated to not contributing to the depravity seen in digital media but, instead, decide to utilize this technology for the betterment of man and the advancement of the Kingdom of God, the modern church would be able to see a revival like never seen before.
References
Bonhoeffer, D. (19541). Letters and Papers from Prison (p. 45). Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press.
Grudem, W. (1994). Systematic Theology (p. 447). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.
Holy Bible: New International Version. (2011). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.
Killinger, B. (2007). Integrity: doing the right thing for the right reason (p. 13). Montreal: McGill-Queen’s University Press.
Kuyper, A. (1880, October 20). Sphere Sovereignty. In Reformational Publishing Project. Retrieved November 3, 2018, from Sovereignty_English.pdf
Lewis, C. S. (1972). God in the Dock: Essays on Theology and Ethics (p. 48). N.p.: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.
Luther King Jr., M. (1967, October 26). Martin Luther King Jr., An Extraordinary Life: What is Your Life’s Blueprint. In The Seattle Times. Retrieved November 3, 2018.
Miner, M. (2017). Creativity and Spirituality : A Multidisciplinary Perspective. Charlotte: Information Age Publishing.
Nayyar, S. (2016, January). Digital Media and Society, Section 3: Impact of Digital Media on Individuals, Organizations and Society. In World Economic Forum . Retrieved November 3, 2018.
Twenge, J. M., & Campbell, W. (2018, October). Preventive Medicine Reports: Associations between screen time and lower psychological well-being among children and adolescents: Evidence from a population-based study. In Elsevier. Retrieved November 3, 2018.
BRIDGET GILLESPIE 