Almost a year ago, Wired magazine put out its list of the five best toys of all time. I opened the article with great interest and significant skepticism as I thought: “What video games or tech products will they name? And which will I disagree with? Will any of my favorites be there?”
Even though I think of myself as a young-ish man, I feel like some of my values are extremely old fashioned compared to the culture we live in. So I was incredibly surprised, and amused, to read the list, because it seemed to come directly from my childhood years of the late 1960s and early 70s.
According to the Wired article, the five best toys of all time are…
Stick
Box
String
Cardboard tube
Dirt
(Read the full, amusing article here: http://www.wired.com/geekdad/2011/01/the-5-best-toys-of-all-time/all/1.)
I am sorry I didn’t blog about this before Christmas, especially if you have children who were pleading for the latest video game or other tech toy. You could have referred to this article and packaged up a cup or two of topsoil, slapped a bow on it and saved $39.99. Again, my apologies.
So, what’s our application to Christian camp and conference ministry? Let me answer that question with a question: Do you ever feel like we are replacing some of the most basic, tried-and-true methods of ministry with something current, “hip,” and popular? If so, does it ever come at a cost you wish you hadn’t paid, or at the expense of something you didn’t intend? Please share your thoughts.