Where are ideas exchanged in today’s world? In what ways do people share opinions, feelings and beliefs with others? These are questions that are often on my mind. Here is an example:
“While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was deeply distressed to see that the city was full of idols. So he argued in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout persons, and also in the market-place every day with those who happened to be there. Also some Epicurean and Stoic philosophers debated with him. Some said, ‘What does this babbler want to say?’ Others said, ‘He seems to be a proclaimer of foreign divinities.’ (This was because he was telling the good news about Jesus and the resurrection.) So they took him and brought him to the Areopagus and asked him, ‘May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? It sounds rather strange to us, so we would like to know what it means.’ Now all the Athenians and the foreigners living there would spend their time in nothing but telling or hearing something new.” (Acts 17:16-21, NRSV).
In this passage, Paul proclaims the good news about Jesus and the resurrection in ways and places in which others here and respond with interest and more questions. Where are the places and how does this take place today?
ChangeThis is a site that is seeking to be a place where ideas are exchanged, created and spread. This is done through what are called manifestos – short PDF files that make an argument, present an idea or make a case. You can download the ChangeThis manifesto here (PDF file). From the ChangeThis manifesto:
HERE’S HOW IT WORKS
- ChangeThis releases manifestos. We share them with bloggers, with influential readers and with our subscribers.
- If the manifestos strike a chord, theyʼll spread. If you donʼt feel moved, donʼt spread them. The bad ideas will just sit there. The good ones will move.
- As the manifestos spread through our culture, theyʼll leave change in their wake. Changed minds are rare but powerful. The hope is that if we change enough minds, the project will be worth the effort.
This is a fascinating model and has application for the church. How do ideas change the world? Through not only changed minds, but through changed lives. Hearing and seeing stories of lives changed by the good news of Jesus Christ is part of the life of the church. I have seen this happen most often in the worship experience and in small groups of various types. How do we spread these stories and ideas to those who have not heard them before? Are there ways beyond inviting others to try attending worship regularly or participating in an Alpha class? I am not sure about the answer to these questions.
- What have you heard or seen to be effective in spreading ideas? in changing minds and lives?
- What, if any, relevance does the ChangeThis model in the life of the church?
Rev. Andrew Conard 