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Friends United
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May/June 2009
Gutenberg, Google and Publishers of Truth
By Dan McCracken
If George Fox had the opportunity, would he have been
a blogger?
Would Elizabeth Fry have taken a camcorder to Newgate Prison and posted
videos to YouTube?
How many Facebook friends would the Valiant Sixty have?
I’m not going to elaborate on these questions, but they do stimulate my mind as I think about what it means to be a publisher of truth in the 21st century.
George Fox came on the scene about 200 years after Johannes Gutenberg (inventor of the printing press) and 300 years before Bill Gates (co-founder of Microsoft). Communication in my lifetime alone has been revolutionized to a greater degree than in the previous 500 years.
I don’t believe publishing methods change the message, but I will suggest that methods need to shift our mindset and stimulate our creativity. I believe Friends would do well to give some serious thought to five areas regarding communication.
1. Break the addiction to paper and ink. When I was learning the printing trade, one of my mentors told me, “McCracken, once you get printer’s ink in your blood you’ll never get rid of it.” He was right. But my love for paper and ink does not deter my desire for effectively communicating with a new generation that is very comfortable with screens (even small ones like cell phones).
The word publisher has a strong connotation of a paper-and-ink product, but when I look up the word publish, my dictionary doesn’t say anything about books and magazines. Being “publishers of truth” is not limited to these methods.
2. Recognize that communication is relational. Communication is always about breaking down the amount of space between two parties. Even confrontation involves taking a step into that zone of blank space that creates distance and misunderstanding.
A book read in isolation is a relational act as the mind of the reader and the mind of the writer engage. People who use Fruit of the Vine (daily devotional booklet published by Barclay Press) tell me they especially appreciate the devotionals when they know the writer. The more communication becomes a two-way process, the more effective it becomes. The Internet has opened new doors for efficient and effective interactive communication. Walking through those doors involves some paradigm shifts.
3. Make relevance a priority. Is being a publisher of truth too easy in the 21st century? It doesn’t take anything more than having a computer and an Internet connection. And you can get both of those at the library if you don’t have them at home. You don’t even need to have anything substantial to say in order to be a publisher. But to be a publisher of truth you have to speak a truth that speaks to people’s lives. A society operating on information overload only has time for material that is relevant.
4. One size does not fit all (and doesn’t need to). Mass communication is not what it used to be. Technology, when used appropriately, has made it possible to be more personal in communication. We don’t want junk mail or book suggestions that have no connection with our interests and needs. We want to be approached as an individual rather than one of a million identical recipients.
The brochure describing Friends that is used in one meeting/ church might not be used by a congregation 20 miles down the road (or even five miles in my community). The point is, good communication involves knowing your audience and speaking to that unique audience in ways that will make a difference. The audience in some cases is as few as an individual, and in others cases includes thousands of people.
5. Let your life speak. It’s important to remember that publishing truth in the 21st century is not limited to words. Francis of Assisi pointed this out long ago when he said, “Preach the Gospel at all times and, when necessary, use words.” The best sermons are the ones lived Monday through Saturday in the workplace and home. The best books are the ones we read as we observe a lifetime of faithful service. People who sit at a desk and work under a corporate banner that includes the word press, books or publisher have no monopoly on being publishers of truth.
In these five points, I’ve intentionally not spoken to the implications for the individual or the local church/meeting. There is one reason: I don’t know how you should change the way you view and do communication. But I’ll suggest that if you have already made changes, you will want (or need) to make more changes in the future. It will be an ongoing process.
If new technology is not something you are going to add to your communication toolbox, however, use the old tools with confidence. They are timeless. And please be openly accepting of Friends who embrace Gates and Google the way early Friends pamphleteers embraced Gutenberg.
Dan McCracken describes himself as the “jack of all trades and master of none” at Barclay Press, Newberg, Oregon.