Is it just me, or does the stereotype of the technophile make you cringe sometimes? The images that come to mind almost always involve men, with glasses, some sort of social impediment and an inability to communicate without using a majority of esoteric terminology.
The stereotypes show geeks overdosing on caffeine in order to stay up all hours writing code or isolating themselves in rooms solely lit by the glow of numerous LCD screens. Off all of these aspects, the one that is hardest to deal with is the “isolationism” because it’s often true.
Two Elements to Consider
Two things come into play when you deal with the work of a technophile, the first being the tasks involve a type of knowledge that few people can wrap their minds around, and the second being the standard of perfection is incredibly high considering the expectations of the end-user for the product they are producing.
Those two things seem to shape an attitude that exclaims, “Only I can do this well enough.” With that in mind, the prospect of collaboration becomes less appealing, in spite of the fact that it may ultimately produce better results than trying to muscle-out something solo.
Ephesians 4 exclaims the urge of Paul to see believers “bearing with one another in love.” He states in verse 7, “But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift.” Following this passage he goes on in the latter verses to speak about spiritual gifts, enumerating the different ways members of the body are equipped to build each other up and reminding us in verse 16, “…when each part is working properly, [each part] makes the body grow so that it build itself up in love.”
The idea of collaboration as a necessity is a motif throughout the Bible, and thusly needs to shape the way in which Christ-honoring and Bible-believing technophiles operate in their gifts. There were many apostles who trained groups of men to operate churches together. Christ was accompanied by twelve disciples who aided in his earthly ministry. The Trinity is probably the greatest examples of collaboration – one God externally co-existing in three persons, co-equal in deity yet each performing different functions.
I recently came to realize just how important this was when I took a step back to critically examine the work I did on my church’s website. While I had achieved something great, I also locked myself into shouldering the majority of the burden of our web presence.
I love Apple’s iWeb, but using the program to make our website make it impossible for any other members of our leadership to assist in maintaining our website. This led me to decide that in the upcoming year I would work to move our site to WordPress, and work with another member of our congregation who works in graphic design to shift my role as church “web-guy” to something less monolithic.
The process of moving our website excites me because it will be an opportunity for me to learn and teach as well as share the joy of what comes out of our collaboration. Working together for those sharing the common goal of being a light to the lost and building up the body is a beautiful thing.
My prayer is that even though we recognize the stereotype the word tries to place on us, we embrace the call of Christ to be the witnesses He desires us to become.
David Woll says
Thanks for the challenge, Louis! You point out the biblical imperative to collaborate, train, and delegate. It’s not just a good idea, it’s in the Bible! I’m definitely feeling the growing pains here, but I am also pleasantly surprised to find out how well things can be done without me being involved elbow-deep. God, please show me how to train and empower others!
Lou says
Thanks so much for the awesome comment! It’s hard giving up control, but it’s so much more worth it when you see the joy that comes from collaborating. 🙂
I pray that God blesses you in how you might apply what I’m learning and shared in your own life.