Sabbath vs. the Smartphone

The iMac is well used, but not so with the phoneNow, I might be the guy who does a range of electronic media jobs for JEM. And it might be true that last year’s JEMscape was quite different than this year’s because of all the new online presence we have now. I am thankful for the praise that has come my way because of it. But it is kind of paradoxical to me. 

When I found the prospect of this work laid at my feet early last year, I was grappling deeply with letting my seven year old computer retire, and was really torn about the expense and lifestyle change that might go with updating and getting all the new toys and programs to play with. I hate the techno-treadmill, and was sort of thinking I’d get off of it. Contrary to the ideas of some who notice how much I use this stuff, I am not really a technophile at heart. I don’t purposely strive to keep up with the latest and greatest. I probably end up finding some of that out, but I am not a thirsty seeker of such knowledge out of any love for the wonders of technology. I might be looking for tools to do a job, but it isn’t particularly a passion of mine. Only through regular use of things do I get to be able to rattle off specs of this audio format (or now, video) or that kind of program or piece of hardware. I like this stuff to the extent that I can get something meaninful authored in one format or another. And of course, these things don’t exist in a vacuum, so it is part of the territory to learn a range of formats—audio, video, web, etc.

Last year I was becoming quite the advocate of in-person contact. You should have heard the scoffing remarks about social media! But then it became clear that of the folks affiliated with JEM, locally anyway, it might just be my job to get this whole ball rolling after all. Still, not without grumbling and hand wringing. Both Lee and I were in a spot last summer where our ancient computers had to be retired or else we might lose our minds! Being a dyed-in-the-wool Apple guy, I pitched him Apple so that when the time came, I could help him out, and when the big time came, our machines would play nice together. I didn’t buy the latest and greatest, but I got a pretty vast improvement by selecting my second refurb model. It gives me a discount while perhaps saving a computer from heading straight for the junk yard like so many other consumer products built with obsolesence in mind. 

JEM is one organization that, due to the all-volunteer nature of things, needs to rely on the innovative options on the web to move its message. And frankly, old computers don’t play well with the modern web. (The first computer I bought in 2001 is working for Kelli at the moment after hers died. It is a miserable web experience.) To create content like our podcasts and occasional videos with any efficiency requires decent tools that “speak the language.” Last year I finally did the big upgrade of both computer and audio interface, in large part to be of some service to JEM. It also paved the way for doing similar work for others who needed a hand.

My shift in position had a lot to do with a meeting with John Styn, who is an internet celebrity but most essentially has made social media an art and that serves a great human purpose by his weekly webcast, Hug Nation. I knew his grandfather Caleb through my church. He was an American Baptist preacher who really outgrew all the denominational divisions and became shaped by a far wider consciousness. I think of him as a holy man. When I heard John articulate that Caleb, who passed away a week shy of 95, had his biggest congregation on the Web, I was a lot clearer about how I wanted to relate to technology, social media, and the like. I wrote a blog post after Caleb died, citing something that John had written about the social power of the Web. Taken to heart, that helped me step into the role I have now with JEM, and most especially, Women Who Speak In Church, a project with my wife and newly ordained minister, Kelli, and clergywomen friends of hers.

So much for justifying the computer to do web work. Phones on the other hand are a whole other thing. I use a computer a stupendous amount of the time both as author and consumer, but a phone I barely touch. I long for the old days when my landline cost me about $30, and that was if I made any long distance calls! My cell plan now, a two line plan, is about $78, with no text or data allowance. No smart phones here. I am slowly warming to sending text messages, and weighing carefully the finer points of a barely-used medium of communication: should I just take the $.20 messages as they come, or pay $5 more per line? (So far, the per use charge suits us. LOL!) Of late, I have been grappling with the barely-logical expense of smartphones with data plans. I’ve examined the plans and the various schemes to get a full featured plan for an even more full-price. I hate it. It makes my mind numb when I have all that comparison “noise” going on. And worse? I have to admit that I barely use a phone as a phone! I use it for a camera more often! The reason for even bothering is to get Kelli, who works in the field as a home-visiting chaplain, a real device that could be of use to her. I don’t necessarily need to have the same thing, if I am true to my sensibilities. 

I bring all this up because my wallet and mind are the battleground between two paradigms. I am reminded of this even as I write, having just uploaded a new video (in two parts) of Lee doing a sermon at Southeastern Presbyterian. (See our YouTube channel for more.) In it, he is laying out a vision for living life with knowledge that we have “enough.” There, Lee talks with a good deal of passion about the cultural shouts for more, more, more. The counter to that is a Jubilee-informed awareness of what is enough, enough, enough. In this sermon, the Sabbath is invoked to serve as a respite to at least sit back and weigh what is going on, and not to just rush into judgment or ill-chosen action out of a blindness that the wider culture would like each of us to have. It doesn’t even really mean that it will lead one to ignoring the smartphone or the new Mac, but it does mean that consideration has been given and deeper values have at least been consulted with prior to acting. If, during that sabbath period, one discerns that a new device is useful in a larger context, it might be just the thing to do to get it and put it to use. I can justify my computer purchase that way; much of my time is trying to learn how to be useful to JEM or others. The smartphone is not so clearly ready to be put to such use. I’m sure I can find a use for it, either to text shopping lists with Kelli, or to mess about on Facebook (as JEM admin, of course!) or to take quick pictures for blog fodder—everything but talking on the phone! But if my current habits remain unchanged, it would be a fantastically expensive way to talk a few minutes. To use it as an internet connection would be to more than double the plan I use now for that purpose. Only portability is to be gained. On the other hand, maybe the use of such a device would give me a bit of freedom to peel away from the computer. Decisions, decisions.

But mercifully I find that my sabbath sense sweeps over me and typically drives me out of whatever cell phone shop or website I happen to be at. There must be a lesson in that.

Update on Friday, June 3, 2011 at 9:23AM by Ed Lucas

I won the battle over the smartphone but have not yet won the war on e-communication. After brain-numbing comparisons of this plan and that, this carrier and that, I found that integrating Google Voice with my existing T-Mobile phone and attaching a 2-line unlimited message service to my plan worked out for the best. Google Voice and the archivable, embeddable, searchable voicemail recordings, coupled with their voice mail transcriptions sent to my phone means a bit less time is spent calling voicemail (which counts against plan minutes, eh?). Google Voice also lets me use my same number from my computer for most calls without involving my T-Mobile plan minutes, which helps when dealing with the kinds of calls (automated service) that sucks up 30 to 60 minutes at a stretch. It even allows some limited conference calls.

People used to send me texts when I had no plan (each was $.20 which adds up if you don't have control over it), and one text to my wife meant that a few characters cost 40 cents because both phones were involved. But now, I got something more useful for us at a cost of $10 more a month. It is still more than I want to pay, but I didn't get completly sucked in. It adds a kind of versatility to the phone without it becoming too big a distraction.

Now, as long as T-Mobile doesn't get swallowed by AT&T, the worst service I have ever dealt with, this might be quite satisfactory for a while...

(We're using Google Voice here at JEM for "reporters" or readers who want to comment with 3-minute messages we can embed into blog posts. Try it... 858-480-6855)

Comments

[rick z]

Good questions to be pondering, Ed. When I'm in your situation I find it helpful to just walk away for awhile (a couple of weeks or more) and just let it percolate. I also might weigh the other things I would do with the same amount of money to see which is more important to me. I also tend to think that if I really need it after that waiting period the decision will become clearer.