Am I A Part of
the iPhone Generation?
At
Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon during the night in a dream, and God said,
“Ask for whatever you want me to give you.” 1 Kings 3:5 (NIV)
It’s all about you. The Apple corporation,
with it plethora of i-prefixed products – iPod, iTunes, iPhone, iPad – has
convinced us that it’s all about you/me. Apple’s Mac computers come with
software entitled iLife, which enables us to organize photos, movies, and
music. Some of the applications within iLife are called iPhoto, iMovie, iDVD,
and iWeb. Point is, it’s all about you/me, because you/I are the “i” in that
plethora of i-prefixed products.
But here’s the thing – despite Apple’s
marketing genius, it’s not really all about you/me. Apple the corporation could
care less about you/me. They care about our money, not you/me, not really.
You/I exist simply to hand over our money to them. It’s all about Apple. You
may think I’m kidding? Just do a survey and you will see that Apple has more
money than the US government.
Me or we? It’s a question each of us faces
and answers every day as we say our prayers, make decisions, establish
priorities, and live our lives. Do we live as insulated and isolated individuals
or as a person connected to and interdependent with others? Me doesn’t just
apply to a single individual. Me could be a group, a parish, a business. So me
or we is also a choice made by churches and religions, political parties,
corporations, and nations.
It’s a question Solomon faced when the
Lord came to him in a dream and said, “Ask what I should give to you.” It
sounds like a great deal. It sounds like God has signed and given Solomon a
blank check. All he need do is fill in the amount.
We all have at one time or another wished
for that? But God’s question comes with a dilemma and Solomon’s answer will
carry profound consequences. Solomon must decide between asking for himself or
asking for the larger we, of which he is also a part.
He sought an understanding mind to govern
and care for God’s people. He wanted the ability to discern between good and
evil. He recognized that a ‘me’ attitude could not sustain the kingdom. He
calls himself “a little child,” one who does “not know how to go out or come
in.” His concern was for the kingdom not himself.
Solomon chose a ‘we’ attitude. He asked
for a listening heart, a heart with ears, a heart that would hear the pain of
the world, the needs of the people, and the voice of God. He did not ask for
himself long life, riches, or even the defeat of his enemy. And it pleased the
Lord.
It all happened in a dream but Solomon’s
waking was the end of the dream. His awaking was the beginning of a new
reality. He awoke to a new possibility, for himself and for the people. That
reality and possibility would be realized every time Solomon choose ‘we’ over ‘me’.
Can we also move from the dream of iPhone generation to vPhone generation where
what we communicate is not for ‘me’ but for ‘we’?
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