What the demise of Blackberry means for the Church

 “Adaptability is being able to adjust to any situation at any given time." John Wooden

 

There was a time when it was hard to look beyond BlackBerry in the smartphone market. They were so ubiquitous, they were often dubbed “Crackberry.” At the beginning of the 2010s, BlackBerry’s dominance was undisputed. It was the most prominent smartphone in the world. Even President Obama had one. At its peak in 2013, there were eighty-five million subscribers worldwide. But that was yesterday. It’s the end of an era. BlackBerry ended support for its smartphones on January 4^th. 

  What happened? Blackberry failed to adapt to a changing world. Its billionaire founder, Mike Lazaridis, was celebrated as a national hero in Canada and Waterloo, Ontario, where the company is headquartered, was Canada’s Silicon Valley. The rot began when corporate leaders failed to recognize the huge challenge posed by Apple's first iPhones and were slow to respond to rapid changes in the smartphone market. In the end, BlackBerry fell victim to its own stubbornness…and the rest is history. 

  We’re in the midst of a world change. Covid has radically changed our world. This little virus has affected nearly every aspect of life from work and school to everyday activities like buying groceries, and even our wardrobes. Think about some of the changes that are now “normal.”

  We have a new vocabulary. Oxford English Dictionary’s 2021 Word of the Year was “vax.” Several new words and phrases have become part of our vocabulary: “social distancing, masking, Rona, etc.”

  We have a wardrobe addition. The must-have fashion item became a small piece of cloth to put around your face. At first they were homemade masks, then medical ones. While Wisconsin doesn’t have a mask mandate, many employees are required to wear them. You can’t enter a medical facility without one. In some parts of the country, you can barely leave your house without putting on a mask.

  Anxiety and depression have increased. The pandemic has taken a serious toll on mental health. One study found that levels of anxiety, depression, and suicidal thoughts have skyrocketed since it began.

  Increased alcohol and drug abuse. Another insidious side effect of the pandemic have been increases in alcohol consumption and illegal drug use. A study published by the Journal of the American Medical Association found alcohol consumption rose 14% during pandemic shutdowns. Women, in particular, reported worrying increases in heavy drinking. This crisis has worsened existing mental health problems.

  Rampant rumors and conspiracy theories. Rumors like drinking bleach can kill the virus or inhaling hot air from a hairdryer will help cure it. The pandemic has hatched thousands of rumors and conspiracy theories. 

  School and church closures. Schools across the U.S. and the world made the decision to close and opt for virtual learning. It’s been debated how long they should remain closed and when is it safe to reopen. Many children though have fallen behind academically and may never recover.

  In places like Canada and Australia, large gatherings are still banned and churches cannot meet. Pastors have been arrested and churches faced with draconian fines even for holding worship services outdoors.

  Blackberry failed to adapt to a changing world, but in the Church we must. Our world has changed and we must adapt if we’re going to fulfill our mission. Yet, none of this is new for the Church of Jesus Christ. Read Church History, from the birth of the Church in the book of Acts, until today, the culture has continually changed and the Church has had to adapt to be effective.

  Jesus promised, “I will build my Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matt. 16:18). His Church will continue to grow until His plan and purposes are done. Throughout history many have sought to destroy His Church. They’re gone but the Church is alive and marches on.

  What may not survive or thrive are individual churches. God’s truth does not change, thus our message must not change. What we must adapt are our methods and approaches to ministry. Because we’re in a new era, any church that desires to be effective and glorify the Savior is going to have to experiment and adapt. None of us are sure what all of that means. Here though are some considerations that affect today’s ministry.

  People are very fearful. Many of those we are seeking to reach are very frightened. God doesn’t want us to live in fear. Fear is the direct opposite of faith. In fact, God’s Word overflows with admonitions to not fear. We’re not talking about foolishness. A lost world desperately needs to see people of faith not just talk about trusting God, but truly trusting God!

  People are very angry. Those we are seeking to reach are often on edge. Anger is frequently the poisoned fruit of fear. Just recently in our area, a customer pointed a gun at a fast-food worker after seeing an employee touch his food without wearing gloves.

  While anger is not always a sin, in that God gets angry, it must be handled very cautiously – like nitroglycerine (Eph. 4:26-27). Christians, instead of adding fuel to the angry atmosphere, must be cautious and not become caught up with irrational emotions that have contaminated so many. Instead, we must be the people of love, grace, and kindness, rather than being caught up in today’s rage.  

  People are very judgmental. For Christians, the only thing that ultimately matters is: Do you know Jesus as your personal Savior? Whether you wear a mask or don’t, whether you’re vaxxed or not, whether you’re a Democrat or Republican…all of those things are trivial in light of eternity. Yet, let’s be honest, what do we talk often about and focus on, even in the Church? In eternity, the only thing that will matter is: Do you know my Jesus? 

  Death has become very real. Just five years ago, there was an existential, live and let live. Not today. We have a great opportunity. Those who don’t know the Lord around us are much more focused on life and death issues, and eternity than at any time in potentially the last hundred years.

  No one has all the answers. We do know that the mission of making disciples of Jesus Christ has not changed. We must be the ones who have His peace, who care and share His love, yet hold to His truth. We must adapt as we can and reach our world with His message of hope. This is our time! Let’s not miss the opportunities the Lord is giving us! 

Can we help you spiritually? Can we help you know Jesus better? Please check out more resources on our church's web page, Gracechurchwi.org. Or, call us at 262.763.3021. If you'd like to know more about how Jesus can change your life, I'd love to mail you a copy of how Jesus changed my life in "My Story." E-mail me at Carson@gracechurchwi.org to request a free copy. Please include your mailing address.