I noticed something interesting today. On another blog, someone was drooling over the MacBook Air, a new incredibly light notebook computer from Apple. I followed the link they provided, and it does look ridiculously thin and very capable of causing some technological covetousness. There was also a link to “see the ad”. It was — not surprisingly — in QuickTime format.
Now, I don’t have QuickTime (or any of the QT plug-ins) installed on my computer. It’s not that I’m a PC bigot; it’s just that there’s something goofy about my computer that totally messes up QT audio. So I got an error when it tried to run the QT movie for the ad.
It occurred to me that, in order to view an advertisement that (one would assume) is supposed to entice you to buy an Apple product, you have to first have installed plug-ins that will interpret Apple’s proprietary audio and video formats. In other words, even to express interest in their product, you have to come to them on their terms.
This seems fairly antithetical to the ubiquitous “I’m a Mac / And I’m a PC” commercials. It seems to me that the point of those ads is to show the Mac’s alleged superiority to the PC, in an effort to get PC owners to “convert” and become Mac owners.
But if you juxtapose them next to the QT-driven ad for the MacBook Air, it almost seems more like the point of the commercials is simply to point out that they are doing a myriad of things the right way and others are not. It’s little more than Madison Avenue schadenfreude.
The spiritual parallels are left as an exercise for the reader.
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17 Comments(+Add)
Interesting. However, I think this could be look at from a completely different perspective. You and other that have an outdated worldview, I mean computer. You are simply not relevant. The Mac is relevant and those who are with it get it. There is a new way of thinking and the Mac gets it. It is here to serve those that get. They are not going catered to those who are stuck in the past and want to use organs, I mean out dated operating systems, who demand computers on their terms. Apple exists to serve a new emerging generation. The old is passing away and those that don’t change will simply be stuck in the past and eventually die off. The Mac is the future get with it die.
Just a thought.
I tell you what…
My computer… is held together by the Grace of God!
and His grace is sufficient for me…. = )
iggy
It is here to serve those that get [it].
Diogenes, you miss the point (or take the parallel in the wrong direction). That’s just it — based on my examples, the Mac is NOT here to serve anyone.
Granted, it’s usually the out-dated that demand that you do things on their terms, and that may even be the case here. But I’m not saying.
Brendt,
You are right I might be taking the parallel in the wrong direction but your complaint against Apple reminded me of the Erwin McManus quote listed on the post below yours. He said, “American Christians tend to be incredibly self-indulgent so they see the church as a place there for them to meet their needs and to express faith in a way that is meaningful for them,†It seemed you were manifesting the American Christian attitude toward Apple. That was the spiritual parallel that jumped out at me but I think your intended point was different. Let me explain.
Your point seems to be that Apple promotes the Mac as being accessible to everyone but in reality one must come to them on their terms. I thought your implied spiritual parallel is that churches at least the ones that those ODM folks and their ilk go to might say they are open to everyone but they really require people to come to them on their terms rather than being there to serve everyone.
My point is the relevant churches promote themselves as being accessible to everyone but in reality one must come to them on their terms. For example, how many times have we heard the statement “If it is too loud you are too old.” In other words we have no desire to be accessible to those who do not like their music loud.
In reality, the Mac and the relevant churches are doing the same thing. They are saying they are for everyone but really aren’t. They feign accessibility but have an exclusivity built in.
In the end I don’t know if that is bad because in reality it is hard, if not really impossible, to live up to Paul’s desire to be all things to all men. Perhaps you can do it on a situation by situation basis as a missionary but not on a settled basis as a local congregation. One can’t appeal to Death Metal fans and fans of Pavarotti at the same time at least not through one’s choice of musical style.
What is unsettling to you is Apple’s presentation of itself as being accessible to all when it really isn’t. Would we call that hypocrisy? Claim that you wanting to serve everyone when in reality taking actions to exclude some those without the right musical preference, I mean software. I guess I am willing to cut them some slack. Aren’t there plenty of churches that say we want to serve everyone who really mean everyone who will come to them on our terms? I just don’t see that as being less true of the emerging churches than the traditional churches. It is just that the emerging churches choose to serve a niche market that is not being served by the traditional churches. They both may say they want to serve everyone and mean by that everyone who wants to do church the way we do church.
Well, that is how this reader saw the spiritual parallel. I guess everyone can have their own spiritual parallel since there isn’t just one parallel and certainly not one right parallel.
Well, maybe there is one right parallel but we wouldn’t want to tell anyone that for fear that we would offend them.
OK, Diogenes, I see your point now, and agree with it to some extent. And you’re right — there are multiple parallels.
(I’ll blow the “exercise left to the reader” aspect and discuss this further.)
ODMish churches certainly don’t have a corner on the “come on our terms” market. This was something of a “if the shoe fits” type of post.
But if (in the illustration) the PC people represent the unchurched, I have to wonder how many of the “terms” alienate them in ODMish churches vs how many “terms” alienate them in non-ODMish churches.
I think that any church can fall into a trap of expecting people to come to them. It’s actually one of the downfalls of the attractional model, I think. When you design a service to cater to one type of person, you automatically exclude some. This may not be a big deal if you operate in a rather homogenous community, but that’s becoming a rare thing.
Jesus didn’t say, “build it, and they will come”, but rather, he said, “go”. Paul wasn’t able to be all things to all men because they were coming to him, but he was able to do it because he went to them. Even in a congregational setting, I think we can make going and equipping and emphasis, and make people think it’s there one time a week to come and get fed.
Phil
I have come to realize that there is two parts to “church” growth…
1. Is getting people to come.
In this the ODM’s have what they think is the answer… preaching the gospel… yet that is not what gets people to come… it is lifting Jesus up. In that if we lift Jesus up, He draws all men to Himself.
2. Go…
This is where I think many in the emerging get it and don’t get it. We are to go as we equip those for ministry they are to go out and so minister…
3. Breath…
This is the natural process… we lift Jesus up and He draws all men to Himself (Inhale) and then we equip and send them back out (exhale) Some get this as that we are amphibians… we think that church is the natural settings, but if we stay in it too long we die… so we need to go out and be on dry land for a time to breath… but if we stay out too long we will dry out and die… so we need the balance of both.
Again…if all we just inhale… we die… if we all just exhale we die…
We need both to function as a healthy Body.
iggy
Iggy,
Isn’t that 3?
2 or 3… whatever… let’s have church as long as we are gathering! LOL!
iggy
And even still, the MacBook Air, while a new computer, is still just a computer, and does what any other computer is supposed to do. If it appeals to your specific needs, get it. If it doesn’t appeal, it doesn’t mean there’s something wrong with you.
And in spite of the need of the one type of computer to constantly zing the other on its problems and shortcomings, it often fails to acknowledge its own. Case in point.
Peronally…I think that if you don’t use a Mac there is something wrong with you!
My wife hates my Mac’s…and I hate her PC.
I used to be a PC droid but when I started doing alot of video and audio editing, I jumped to Mac….and I will never go back!
Sony Vegas rules the world. And I hate Sony, so you know its good.
I can’t bear to overpay for a computer that won’t let me have full control of the hardware I paid for.
Jimmy, you and your wife aren’t going to divorce over this difference in likes or preference, are you?
*light bulb*
We split, divide and fight with each other based largely on our personal likes and preferences, but I think something’s been forgotten in the process: It’s not about us, it’s about God.
Sandman,
I think you’ve touched on something there, but its more than just its not about us, its about God. Its not about us, its about God, and other people.
When I say us, that includes other people.
There’s an awful lot in the scriptures about other people.
“Consider others more highly yourself” comes quickly to mind.
You’re not tracking with me; I’m over in Revelation. I’m not talking about us and our relationships with others. I’m talking about God ultimately having His way. Not about us and our particular preferences, wants, or whatever gods we’ve made to suit our lifestyle.
Whether you want to or not, every knee will bend and every tongue will confess.