2007-08 ARCHIVE

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Kingdom Bread is a monthly e-Newsletter to PCA parents. Archived articles can be found on the Kingdom Bread Archive.

VOLUME 2 - NUMBER 2
Oct.. 1, 2007

Defining a Generation, Defining a Culture

In Student Leadership Institute (SLi) this fall with the Upper School students, we are addressing the issue of abortion. Your reaction may be the same as several of our students – why abortion? Let me give you the reasons we selected this topic and then tell you more about why I am addressing this issue in our monthly Kingdom Bread e-newsletter as well.

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VOLUME 2 - NUMBER 1
Sept. 11, 2007

Media: A Critical View of the Power to Communicate

If you asked ten people what the most powerful and influential elements of culture are today, all of them would have to put the term media somewhere in their Top 5. Media comes from the concept of a medium, a channel or an avenue for communication and today would include television, the Internet, radio, mobile phones, advertising, music, movies…the list goes on and on. As Christian parents, I know that most of you are not only aware of much of the media your son or daughter is exposed to on a daily basis, but you’re also concerned about its influence on their lives and their walk with the Lord. I share that concern. Let’s take a moment to: 1.) Examine the influence of media on our culture 2.) Look for ways that we can equip ourselves and our children to think critically and Christianly amidst the noise of media today.

First of all, if you want to examine the influence of media on our culture (and your child in particular), one book you’ll want to read is Amusing Ourselves to Death by Neil Postman. Before Postman died, according to Wikipedia he was a well-respected author, professor, media theorist and cultural critic best known for his aforementioned 1985 book that examined the influence of television on the way we think and interact with others. In my opinion, Amusing Ourselves to Death is a profound look into the minds of young people today that goes far beyond a simple examination of the impact of television. Postman concluded that an image-based society (as opposed to a society based on words or print communications) has various hurdles and problems that left unaddressed threaten to undermine the stability and progress of that culture. From a Christian perspective, this conclusion takes on special significance since Christianity is so closely connected with the concept of words – the Bible is the written special revelation of God to man and Christ is described as the Word that was made flesh. Words, and especially the Word of God, have special meaning to followers of Christ and a generation or culture that does not appreciate the concept or meaning of words is going to be a more difficult people to reach with the truth of the gospel.

While not concerned with the spiritual ramifications, Postman simply examined how the thought process of an image-based society is actually altered from the former way of careful, in-depth analysis common to a word-based society. While it may be true today that a picture is worth a thousand words, that image is not a replacement for the ability to read and understand those words. Images are powerful communicators, but not precise. Images speak loudly, but not clearly. Images can be engrained in one’s mind, but without understanding and definition, the image can just as easily be a hurdle to learning as it is a tool. Postman shared the fear of Aldous Huxley whose novel Brave New World depicted mankind drowning in a sea of irrelevance as man sought to satisfy his “almost infinite appetite for distraction.” For Postman, most of today’s media would not even qualify as a form of communication, only noise and distraction that actually prevents us from communicating with each other…and therein lies the great problem today.

As Christians, we have been far too concerned about what our children watch on TV and not concerned enough with the fact that they are watching TV! We are more concerned with what music our children are listening to, or what sites they visit, or what movies they watch. Mind you, these are all legitimate concerns; but they are not the only concern. Marshall McLuhan’s aphorism, the medium is the message, has been lost and needs to be recaptured – we must not only be concerned with what they are seeing and hearing, but how it is being communicated to them as well. In other words, even if our children are watching “good” TV shows (if such a thing actually exists) or listening to the “right” music, they are still being influenced by the delivery method of the message. Their minds are being programmed to receive messages from current media sources and losing the ability to receive messages from other sources, most notably the written word. Again, only a problem if you consider that God’s instruction manual to mankind isn’t a video…it’s a book!

I’m around students every day and I’m constantly suggesting various books to read. The most common response from students today is that they simply don’t read. Period. It’s not that they don’t want to learn, it’s just that reading isn’t viewed as a viable or acceptable form to transit ideas to this generation. For the most part, many have determined that fighting this battle is a waste of time and if kids aren’t going to read, they find other ways to communicate with them. Postman’s conclusions give me reason to pause here and question if this is, indeed, the best solution to the problem. Finding other ways to communicate isn’t the problem; the fact that our students won’t read is. Actually, the problem is that our children’s minds are being conditioned to think in such a way that modern forms of communication from TV to the Internet are the only avenues that they truly do understand. No longer can students carry on conversations with friends face-to-face, they IM or text each other in short, silly blurbs and postings where BOOMS means Bored out of My Skull. They have thousands of online “friends,” and their “click” world is more real than the “brick” world. A student who doesn’t read isn’t learning the skills of critical analysis, of thoughtful meditation, of gaining not just information but understanding as well. We are becoming what James Emery White calls “shallow pools of information” instead of “deep waters of wisdom” and my fear is that as parents we don’t realize that it’s not only the messages in the media that are adversely influencing our children, it is the media (or medium if you will) itself!

But what is a parent to do – toss out the TV, disconnect the Internet, take away their mobile phone? While these may seem overboard, there are situations where limitations are essential and necessary. But, let’s focus first on the positive elements that you as parents can employ in the lives of your children – and just in case you feel that you’ve lost your position as the most influential factor in the life of your child, let me assure you that you haven’t! The family is still the primary means of communicating and transferring culture from one generation to the next – so, regardless of what you may think, parents – you are still #1 in the lives of your kids! In a recent study published as Soul Searching: The Religious and Spiritual Lives of American Teenagers, author Christian Smith says that parents are still the most influential factor in the spiritual development of their children – yes, more than the youth group, more than their peers, and even more than MySpace or TV! And while challenges exist in this process, from time pressures to making blending families work, parents, you still have the God-given authority and duty to teach, instruct, train, or rear your children in the way of the Lord!

To accomplish that responsibility, God’s Word encourages parents to spend quality and quantity time with their children. Psalm 78 and Deuteronomy 6 remind us that it was (and is) the responsibility of parents to “tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, his power, and the wonders he has done;” to “impress them [God’s commandments]” on our children and talk about them “when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.” The Book of Proverbs implores children to listen to the advice and wisdom of their parents and implies that parents are sharing valuable insight and understanding learned from godly living and God’s Word. To this day, nothing rivals the family’s ability to transfer information from one generation to the next!

Combating media, transferring the truth of Scripture to your children – these are monumental tasks and with today’s busy schedule, it might seem overwhelming and nearly impossible. Let me encourage you with a couple of excellent opportunities that will assist you in this endeavor. First, if you haven’t already taken advantage of PCA’s Kingdom Parent Institute (KPi) courses, you really ought to consider these. In the fall, PCA Head of School and father-of-four Larry Taylor shares biblical and practical insight to take responsibility for the development of your children. You’ll walk away from this seven-week course with a family plan, a list of resources, and the encouragement that you can do an even better job as a dad and mom! In the spring, KPi will delve deeper into some specific areas of concern from Kingdom Finances to Cultural Apologetics – something to look forward to, but you’ll want to begin with the fall course to lay the groundwork.

Also, you’ll want to be looking for the upcoming PCA Family Conference on Friday, Jan. 25. Author and speaker Bob Barnes will share from a biblical perspective some parenting wisdom and advice that will challenge and encourage you as parents with a perfect blend of humor and truth.

You can also take advantage of our online PCA Resource Center under the Kingdom Parenting section of the website. Suggested resources in the areas of Biblical Literacy, Cultural Apologetics, Parenting and Family, Spiritual Disciplines, and Passion and Devotion will help deepen your understanding and equip you with the tools necessary to pass along that understanding to your children.

Media is a powerful influencer of our children and left unchecked it can literally warp their minds and harden their hearts to the truth. As parents, we must be vigilant to protect our children by preparing them for the onslaught of ideas that run counter to the Word of God and we must also help them think critically and Christianly not only about the messages themselves, but about the messenger of media! Well-read, well-grounded students will be able to think through the media messages; those who are not well-read may find that media is amusing them to death!

Dan Panetti
Worldview Director
Prestonwood Christian Academy

Jesus answered,
"It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.' "
— Matthew 4:4

“Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested.”
—Francis Bacon

“The object of opening the mind, as of opening the mouth, is to shut it again on something solid.”
—G.K. Chesterton