An Introductory Post
Because they say I should start with one of these.
I am writing this first post from an airplane, thirty-something thousand feet in the air, somewhere over West Texas, I think. Or do they say “I reckon” out here?
Perhaps more interestingly, I’m writing it on my phone, using an airplane internet connection, flying coach, and in the dreaded middle seat. On my left is my oldest son, James, who has the window seat, but he’s watching a movie on his phone. He is not using the shared armrest, and I have no intention of sharing it.
Behind me is my wife, Kristy, also in the middle seat for some reason. She’s watching the same movie as James, but she’s watching it on my iPad. I was planning to write this post on that very device, but since we did not consider that this aircraft would not have built-in screens for each passenger, her entertainment plans were foiled. Being the sensitive husband I am, I had compassion for her and granted her the use of my portable movie screen and writing device.
Kristy is next to my youngest son, John. He is playing video games on a gaming device, unaware of the glorious vision outside his window of the Texas plains. John is also unaware that he has missed his opportunity for a complimentary ginger ale. He will be saddened to learn this should he re-enter this world before we land.
To Kristy’s right is a woman who is flying alone, but that’s all I can tell you about her. I couldn’t hear the details of her destination or personal information when I was eavesdropping on the conversation she and Kristy were having during takeoff. She is also busy and intently focused on her phone, or as Kristy calls it, her "personal rectangle."
On my right is a travel nurse from Oregon who boarded in Los Angeles. She is headed to Vermont for a year-long contract. We had a pleasant conversation; she is friendly and is the perfect person to sit next to if you are stuck in a middle seat. We are sharing the armrest without competition or discomfort. She is now reading a book, but not on any electronic device. It’s an actual novel, printed on real paper. Rectangular for sure, but not electric.
Something tells me the travel nurse may be the only one doing it right. She is using the provided reading light, you know, the one above you next to that oxygen mask you hope to never see, right next to the call button that turns on the call light the flight attendant hopes to never see. She’s using the light because everyone else, as far as I can see, is on their electronic devices, and they have the window shades drawn to reduce the glare. So, even though it's two in the afternoon Texas time in June, it’s dark in here, except for her light. Good for her.
Which leads me to the point of this post. It seems like so many of us are surrounded by more darkness than light. It’s a choice most of us are making to be lonely, lost in a digital world, bothered by neck cramps, sheep without a shepherd. Not just on a plane, but in our offices, our homes, our schools, our statehouses, and even our churches. But we don’t have to be.
The digital tools we have today can be used for destruction, but also for building up. It’s a choice we make in the modern world. If we are conscious of it, deliberately, we can use these tools to seek wisdom and connection, and share it in a reasonable, graceful, and honest way. We can be strengthened, restored, redeemed, supported, and victorious.
I try to do that every day as host of The Pastor Scott Show, which airs from 3 pm to 5 pm on weekdays on stations in Southern California (Links.) I will also use this newsletter, blog, publication, or whatever you want to call it, to do the same thing: discuss the issues of the day from a Christian perspective in a way that is fun, practical, down to earth, and not weird. Well, relatively speaking, anyway. I hope you join me here as so many of you do each afternoon on my talk show.
Incidentally, the electronics will be put away once we are on the ground. We’re taking a family vacation, visiting Kristy’s cousin in Brownsville, Texas. Now, I’m not entirely sure what we will do in Brownsville all week, but I am sure we won’t spend much time on our "personal rectangles" until the flight back home
Always enjoyed your sermons in San Diego and still enjoy your style of storytelling with a purpose. Haven’t had the opportunity to catch your radio show but will try to seek it out!