One of the most popular items people want for Christmas this year is Apple's iPhone. Five million of these amazing devices have been sold since its introduction in June 2007. What Steve Jobs and Apple did was to essentially reinvent the phone, pulling together media, messaging, music and an endless supply of applications in a fun and user-friendly package.
There was so much hype about this product before it was released that it was dubbed the "Jesus phone" by some, which shows how technology truly has become a god to some people. It should surprise no one that the inevitable competitors are coming out with their "me too" versions of the iPhone as well, many just in time for Christmas.
We have Blackberry's new "Storm." Samsung has the "Instinct." Sprint offers "The Touch Diamond." Not to be outdone, Sony has just released their new "Experia." I hear that GMC is coming out with a new phone as well. It's called the "Bailout." (I think it only receives calls.)
The iPhone phenomenon is based on the runaway success of the iPod, which revolutionized the personal digital music market. Prior to its debut, there were a number of other MP3-type devices available, but none had the ease of use and coolness factor of the iPod.
The whole idea is that with this device, you can control your own little universe. You can have your photos, music and contacts all in one place. We don't have to wait to hear our favorite song on the local radio station anymore; we can just plug in our iPods and have our music when we want it.
This device has become so much a part of our culture that even the president was asked, "Mr. President, what's on your iPod?" The questioner just assumed the president had one (doesn't everybody?), and that by revealing what he listens to, we might gain a better insight into who he is.
But it's not only music "on demand" these days. The same applies to television with the advent of the Tivo. No longer do we have to sit at home and wait for our favorite program to come on, we can just Tivo it and watch it later (fast-forwarding through commercials, too!)
We truly have become the iGeneration. We order our private universe and expect that the world will somehow revolve around us. The iGeneration even has its own morals, which we seem to make up as we go.
A study was just completed called "A 2008 Report Card on the Ethics of American Youth." The Los Angeles-based organization said that the teenagers' responses to questions about lying, stealing and cheating "reveal entrenched habits of dishonesty for the workforce of the future." Boys were found to lie and steal more than girls. (No surprise there!) Overall, 30 percent of the students admitted to stealing from a store within the past year, a 2 percent rise from 2006. More than one-third of boys (35 percent) said they had stolen goods, compared to 26 percent of girls.
An overwhelming majority – 83 percent of public school and private religious school students – admitted to lying to their parents about something significant. The study found that "cheating in school continues to be rampant and it's getting worse." Among those surveyed, 64 percent said they had cheated on a test, compared to 60 percent in 2006. And 38 percent said they had done so two or more times.
The iGeneration feels this is acceptable behavior – and even ethical.
This study pointed out that despite these high levels of dishonesty, these same kids have a high self-image when it comes to ethics. Some 93 percent of students indicated satisfaction with their own character and ethics, with 77 percent saying that "when it comes to doing what is right, I am better than most people I know."
The people who did the survey did point out, however, that many of the participants may have been lying!
You might think this is all new, but it isn't at all. We are not the first "iGeneration." The Bible tells us that "nothing is new under the sun." Malcolm Muggeridge said, "All new news is old news happening to new people."
Scripture describes a time in history when "Everyone did what was right in their own eyes." That would be a pretty accurate description of American culture right now. We all have our own rules and ideas that flex and change with how we feel in a given moment. And you don't have to be a genius to see the problems that result from such a national mindset, as crimes, drug and alcohol use, and divorce rates climb higher and higher by the day. You can even find the roots of the current economic meltdown in the self-centered, me-first attitudes of iGeneration.
So, how do we fix it?
The prophet Isaiah might well have been speaking of these very times when he wrote: "Destruction is certain for those who say that evil is good and good is evil; that dark is light and light is dark; that bitter is sweet and sweet is bitter."( Isaiah 5:20)
That's exactly where our culture is today. We mock what is good and pure and celebrate what is wicked and sinful. You can even hear it in the language, can't you? "Bad" is good. "Sick" is even better. And you advertise a high-calorie dessert by describing it as "decadent," "sinful" or "wicked." The world is "upside-down."
Even so , there is an answer to bring about lasting change – in individuals and in a nation.
It's not something new, but rather very old, and has stood the test of time – lots and lots of time. We have the Bible, which clearly tells us what is right, what is wrong, what is good and what is evil. And most important of all, it tells us how to know and have a relationship with a God who loves us. In His Ten Commandments and other writings of Scripture, God has graciously given us bedrock truths upon which we can rebuild our lives – and our culture.
In only days we will celebrate the birth of God's very Son, Jesus Christ. He came to live and die and rise again from the dead, so we could find both life during life and life after death.
If we want to have the best Christmas of our lives, we need to learn more about who Jesus is, what He said and how we can come into a relationship with Him.
I hope you will think about that. And better still, act on it.