A PRACTICAL THEOLOGY OF... CELL PHONE ABUSE

Group, Jan/Feb 2005 by Surdacki, Walter

JESUS WAS AWAY FROM HIS FATHER FOR 33 YEARS; WE CAN WAIT AN HOUR OR TWO TO CHECK OUR VOICE MAIL.

NEARLY HALF OF ALL TEENAGERS NOW OWN A CELL PHONE, AND THAT'S PRODUCING A RISING TIDE OF INTERRUPTIONS, DISTRACTIONS, AND DISCONNECTIONS. In the first of a six-part series that will explore the theological foundations for everyday youth ministry challenges, Walter Surdacki offers an intensely practical defense for setting cell phone boundaries in your ministry.

A few weeks before graduation, I "kidnapped" my seniors for a stress-free day of fun. The plan was to relax, sightsee, and recreate with no deadline pressures.

Ring-ring! (or more accurately-bleepity-bleepity-whoooga-chooga!) goes a cell phone. I look in the van's rearview mirror to see one of our guys answer a call from a friend-just checking in. Then ring-ring! goes a girl's cell phone. "Hey, honey." She's already missing her boyfriend. I look in the rearview mirror again and two seniors are using their thumbs to furiously attack their key-pads-texting their friends.

Then it dawns on me-they aren't here. I mean, their bodies are strapped into the van, but they aren't really with me. Their minds (and in some cases, their hearts) are back home with their friends and "significant others." I planned this day so we could enjoy each other, eat great local food, and anticipate a huge rite of passage in the company of our faith community. But kids' cell phones are like little Star Trek transporters, making them appear and disappear at the demand of a customized ring.

INTERRUPTION INCORPORATED

The ringing in my head goes on throughout the whole day. Photos on the Golden Gate Bridge. Ring-ring! "What's up?" On the cable car. Ring-ring! "Oh, sorry, I have to get this one."

Nearly half of all teenagers now own a cell phone-a sharp increase from the third who owned one in 2003. Experts say the rise is largely due to cell phone marketers pushing new family calling plans. Many of these plans offer unlimited minutes for calls and text messaging. The functional result is that kids' attention is constantly drawn away from their physical environment.

My wife, a teacher, reports that students using cell phones to text-message each other is extremely common (despite school rules banning cell phones). Kids even memorize the keypad so they can text each other without looking.

WHAT ARE WE TO DO?

Don't get me wrong. Cell phones are wonderful and convenient. But they've become an impediment to enhancing our community relationships. I believe we're called to embrace cultural changes and adapt them for our advantage. But is a battle over cell phones worth spending our "relational credit"?1

I think the best way to navigate these treacherous waters is for us to think theologically about cell phones and our students who use them. Without a theological framework, we're merely making up arbitrary rules and regulations-we aren't really helping teenagers enjoy the abundant life that God has for them. Believe it or not, Scripture has a lot to say about cell phones.

1. WE'RE CHALLENGED TO BE FULLY PRESENT.

God sent Jesus to "live for a while among us" (John 1:14). In other words, God sent his full to live with and among us. When Jesus walked the earth, he was fully focused on doing his Father's work. That means Jesus didn't allow distractions to divert him from pursuing redemptive relationships. To accomplish his work on earth, he had to be fully present to those around him.

For example, he was so present to those around him that he could tell when a needy woman touched his cloak, though throngs of people surrounded him. At the Transfiguration he was sensitive to the needs of Peter, James, and John. On the cross. Jesus focused on the needs of the two thieves and his mother.

TO DO: Likewise, challenge your teenagers to be fully present at youth group events by "unplugging from the Net." Ask them to lay down their cell phones to fully dial-in to what God has in store for that event. Have them turn in or turn off their phones and PDAs. Set out a basket where kids can leave their phone during an event so they're not tempted. Jesus was away from his Father for 33 years; we can wait an hour or two to check our voice mail.

2. WE ARE FAMILY.

Over and over in the New Testament, the church is described as a family.2 There's supposed to be something different, something unique, about the community we experience when we gather. Our teenagers won't fully appreciate the community around them at a youth group event unless we eliminate the possibility of communicating with those outside the event. If we require them to turn off their phones, they'll naturally interact with the people God has brought to the meeting, retreat, or event.

TO DO: Invite your students to experience the benefits a cell phone can't offer-a tear, a hug, the face of a joyful friend, the body language of a friend in need. Once you've taken away their phones, make sure you engage them in face-to-face community activities such as prayer, personal storytelling, positive physical activity, and great discussion-starters for pairs, trios, and small groups. Challenge them to value these God-ordained aspects of family relationships.