Unshaken, and not stirred, James Bond calmly ignored the increasing tension and reached for his car phone, which briefly stole the show and made us wonder what Q’s laboratory might create next.
Admittedly, this movie was made in the seventies, when phones only lived in houses, in businesses or in phone booths.
Bond’s phone also dominated the screen because it was so big, compared to today’s miniatures that can effortlessly handle emails, texts, photos, videos, music, movies, banking, budgeting, medical appointments, education, Zoom meetings and Facebook – to mention just a few.
Seventies gadgets might seem quaint today. But how quaint might our technology look even ten years from now? Tele-transportation may then still be a dream; but faster, smaller, more extensive and cheaper options will keep coming our way.
The internet dawned as the information superhighway, with limited access; but the nineties saw it break free to wrap itself around us with revolutionary worldwide access to gathering and circulating information.
Amazing stuff, but now, as this verbal and visual input constantly bombards our phones or laptops, it can ironically reduce our communication, especially as artificial intelligence becomes more common.
It is so important to take time to reflect on it all and to organise our response.
For despite its influence, it cannot gauge personal, non-verbal aspects like our emotional state, our body-language, our level of health, or our level of experience or interest.
Social media can compound this problem. If we question or disagree with the views of pressure groups or activists, we are often labelled as fearful, stupid or hateful – an ironic response from people who claim to represent fairness and tolerance.
Understanding and respect are two keys to effective communication, and I recommend praying as a great way to develop these keys.
Prayer – whether written, spontaneous or panic – enriches our perspective by inviting us into the depth and expanse of God’s mind, his motives, and his timing.
He accepts us, with all our fears, failures, hopes, hurts, skills and dreams, so we may relax enough to show more respect for others – with their fears, failures, hopes, hurts, skills and dreams.
God’s acceptance helps us to be more flexible when changes challenge or impede our agendas, priorities or time pressures.
Prayer is completely natural, with no need for technical expertise or artificial input, and it is designed to be so easy that we can do it with our eyes shut!
Noel Mitaxa
On behalf of a church near you, inviting you to explore God’s love
