Christ in the Media?....

Image via CrunchBase

In the past, I have often lament about the lack of understanding and discerning approach towards teh area of socail media and networking and was wondering if there was a Catholic pespective in this to help us wade through the flotsam and jetsam of this media culture whose wave of influence have affected practically every spectrum of a person's life, whether they be infant, the young or the old.

Recently, I went to a talk at the Singapore Pastoral Institute given by Dr Eugene Gan, who teaches interactive media and communication arts at the Franciscan University of Steubenville (Ohio). The talk was organised by the Archdiocesan Communications office and Dr Gan shared with the audience about how to use the media rightly, and through it to engage people and bring them to something better. This was the best and insightful starting point for my grasp to this dilemma of a Catholic Christian perspective on social media and the likes.

His session - Infinite Bandwith: Encountering Christ in the Media - outline several points that any one, parents especially, who is serious in making sense of what the culture of social media is all about (Facebook, Twitter, blogs, etc...):

It is as old as Creation itself

It is all about communications. God is himself the greatest communicator and since the time of Creation has been using social media in varied ways to get our attention to respond to Him. Of course, how He does that will be in line and pertinent with the times and era of humanity in history. For us today, it just happens to be in the forms of Facebook and other related items. Thus such forms of communications are gifts from God and must be used appropriately and wisely.

Media Keys

This then brings us to the need for a good and discerning tool in order to have a balance approach to the use of the social media elements that proliferate within most aspect of the societal's lives and experiences. Hence, we speak of media keys, 7 of them as proposed by Dr Gan:

a. Balanced - practice balanced on interacting online, interactin in-person, managing my responsibilities.

b. Attitude - my attitude, who is the intended audience?

c. Personal - do I uphold human dignity? do I promote individualism or support a communal spirit?

d. Truth-filled - is it grounded on the Word of God? make a distinction between truth and accuracy, am I representig myself authentically online?

e. Inspires - media is a sign, not an end; do I inspire others to seek the truth?

f. Skillfully developed - is it creatively, skillfully and artfully produced or communicated?

g. Motivated by & Relevant to Experience - does it engage or interest you? do you use online social media to build bridges?

His book, which the title of his talk was derived from, is on sale as an ebook online (e.g. Amazon) or can be gotten as a paperback from Emmaus Road Publishing, and should form an indispensible and engaging read for parents, catechists, teachers or anyone who is interested in dealing with the effects of social media in one's life.

Another equally engaging book that looks into this arena is "The Church and the New Media" by Brandon Vogt. The premise is similar and it asks this probing question: How can Christians harness these new tools to reach out, to teach, to build community, and to change the world? Too often we, as members of the clergy and lay faithful are slow in engaging the social media effectively in really "changing the world". This book wants to offer a right step in that direction to cultivate community and form the faithful, among other things.

If you are searching around for something engaging, soul-searching and faith-filled to read and yet be in touch with the realities of the daily life these are the two you ought to get your hands on!

Related articles

• Social Media...bad for educators?! Not!...and Why? (adaptivelearnin.wordpress.com)
• How Do I Evangelize? (catholicjules.net)

Muddling Along...

Image by Annoysius via Flickr

It has been rather difficult lately to put up entries here on a more regular basis. Most of the time, it has got to do with the availability of time and the mood to do it, which has been rather erratic thus far. Most of the time and effort have been diverted toward managing and balancing the activities of the ministries within this parish that I am currently attached to and the teaching stint at the Seminary.

With the recent changes in the parish and awaiting for the new parish priest to begin his new posting from 1st October onwards, there have been much positioning and movement in some of the ministries as they await expectantly for whatever that may transpire with this change. I, myself,am in this transition period as I await to take over whatever responsibilities that will fall upon me as I take over the office of Fr Luke as he makes his way to his new parish at Star of the Sea.

In this kind of situation, it can be very unsettling when one cannot do much and feeling a little lost, in this midst of change. I still have much of my stuff (important) kept elsewhere and unable to unpack fully yet. I expect to do somehting about that after 1st October. Till then, I have to still muddle along....

While muddling along, I am expected to already be equipped with the skills to do retreats for some ministries and groups, in the parish and outside, who have approached me for a piece of my knowledge and sharing - knowledge and sharing, of  which I am still in the raw and learning through myself! It is the label that I carry of having being a product of Rome, of someone who has been through some great studies experience and can now impart the knowledge to others. It's not too bad a label to be stuck with but I don't believe it should be looked upon as one to be greatly fawned over.

Still, the parish do need a more directed sense of way to move, in the changes that are happening, and it will be their priests who ought to provide some semblance of stability and vision for all concerned, so that the parish can move and grow into a Spirit-filled and vibrant community. It is not an impossible task but a challenging one nonetheless.

On that note, I must say that I am not feeling that overwhelmed at all since my return to parish life, to all the activities associated with it, but rather am happy and satisfied, in a low-key way, as to the manner my new life in my ministry at IHM has unfolded thus far.

'Knowledge' on FORA

In continuing the reflection on knowledge, I came across this wonderful video from FORA.tv, whose content and presentation simply engages the ordinary person to the 'bigger' story that is out there in a sense of awe and wonderment.

However, it is the final statement at the end of the video which says it all. For science, in this particular instance, to acknowledge its finiteness in such a humble manner is really a true and honest human gesture which blends very well with our Church's understanding concerning faith and reason.

The video can be accessed here in my astroblog (thought you just get to it instead of searching for it all over the main site).

'Knowledge' on Wordle

Here's a wordle look at the previous entry and apparently, it got the message! :-D

(click on the picture to see a bigger version)

Double Edged

If there is anything I can take away from these exams that I have endured so far, it is this: the more I study, the more I come to realise that I do not know. Yes, I have heard this somewhere before and no doubt, you have too. However, the implication that arises from this statement is one for a big pause....

Acquiring knowledge is part of a big thing among young, able-bodied Singaporeans who are in the midst of making a mark in one's life, in society and in the world. So, it isn't strange to note how much hard-work and monetary value one will be willing to put up on any manner to acquire knowledge that will boost one's status in life. There is nothing wrong with doing that in itself. We all have this capacity to form and upgrade ourselves in order to be of use to others and to society at large.

This here, then, is the catch. The knowledge that is gain or acquired must in one way or the other be able to be shared with others, besides ourselves and our families, and eventually leading to the total promotion of truth, justice and peace for all to enjoy. If such acquired knowledge simply serves oneself and demanding the entire universe to circle around one's life, it creates a utilitarian attitude that will serve no one in general and eventually degenerate to a life that hints of arrogance, pride and self-love. Remember, pride was the Devil's fall from Heaven...

Much of the miseries that we have before us in the world today happen to rise from such attitude of arrogance, pride, self love or a little of all of those. We do those things simply because we can and we use all our energy and acquired skills and knowledge to put up an agenda that promotes and serves our own personal needs and never that of our neighbour.

Knowledge is a double edge sword, indeed...