Where are the real people?
I was watching TV with my 4-year-old daughter last night. We found the channel called “Noggin.” They came on with an advertisement that made use of the following slogan, “It’s like preschool on TV.”
No! Educational, yes. Preschool, no.
Any teacher or parent of a preschooler can remind you that preschool is less about learning the content and much, much more about the socialization of the child. Are we being asked to replace other people the content of more stuff?
In my loading and unloading of book boxes I came across the TV remote that I had been searching for for at least a week. (It’s been six weeks since we packed up and left Memphis.) That simple discovery brought the following reminder. Theology books, like TV, are simply a medium of information and thought to be passed along. Without relationships and without a social outlet, all of our insight and knowledge is useless. It may edify the self, but the self without others is just as useless.
My challenge: Read the theology books on the shelf, watch the TV, but don’t let them stand in the way of people. Family, church, and social circles are far more important.
It was nice to find this. We just got an e-mail from Balmoral advising of the new arrival. Congratulations!
And of course, your comments on the need for community are right on. Eunice and I are in too many this semester. but loving it – taking three courses at U of M, including a writing course. Look at our website for stuff we are working on, and by all means send us an email. //www.ordman.net
Chip and Eunice