Pastoral ministry in the digital world

The Church is essentially a missionary. The mission of preaching the Word of God is mandatory for the church. But how is a vital question to be asked by every baptized Christian who is called to be a missionary. Consecrated men and women who have dedicated their life for the cause of the Gospel have a special responsibility for opening the door to new forms of preaching the Gospel respecting the dignity of the human person.  In Indian situation the elderly are more faithful and active in the church activities than the young people. It is a common phenomenon that a handful of young people attend a program organized for the youth. In a parish where there are hundreds of youth, why are there only a handful of them present for the program targeted to them?   Where are the rest?  How can we bring them back to the main stream of the church?

To a certain extent it is true even when we take children into consideration. Parents have great dream for their children. They plan for their education, future career, well being and good fortune even when they are in their mother’s womb itself. Parents dream that their unmet desires are fulfilled at least in their children. It is quite astonishing that children turn out to be very different at times. Today children try to avoid teachers and parents at least in their vocabularies. Anyone who comes across as an obstacle on their way is to be eliminated. It is not learned from school, colleges or parents. Media to a great extent is responsible for such vicarious situations. How can we bring them back?

The media/new technology of communication give information and entertainment. They are excellent means of communication and transmission of messages. Through the new technology we come to know about ourselves others an external world. It helps us to make new and meaningful relationship with people around us. Today we have come to a stage wherein without audio visual aids any seminar or classes are not interesting.  In such situations media can be used as an effective means to put across religious values to youth and children.

Today youth and children are well informed and they know anything under the sun. They are educated and the money power is with them. Anything that is slow, not interesting, and not thrilling are discarded and deleted altogether.  They want a quick fix answer and a shortcut solution to every problem. How to bring them to the lost Value system?

Pastoral ministry in the digital world has the answer to it. St Paul says I became all things to all in order to gain some for Christ. If we follow the missionary strategy of Paul we can say that if we want to gain the media/electronic generation of today we need to use the same. If the new media is put at the service of the gospel it can bring about drastic change. Because we know that when faced with raw realities of life no SMS language and technology will be of any help but a personal God whom one has encountered and experienced in life. St Paul says anyone who believes in him will not be put to shame. Anyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. But when they have not heard how they can believe in him whom they have not heard and how can they hear without someone to preach.

Even while using the Media for the proclamation of the Gospel to the modern generation churchy programs works no more. It has to be put in an intelligible format to yield fruit.   Gospel must be put into the language of the young people. For this we need visionaries and courageous and motivated leaders. When the media is put at the service of the Gospel they are capable of increasing almost indefinitely the area in which the word of God is heard. They enable the Good news to reach millions of people. The church would feel guilty before the Lord if she did not utilize those powerful means that human skill is daily rendering daily perfect. It is through them she proclaims from the house tops. (Evangelii Nuntiadndi No: 45). The world of digital communication with its limitless expressive capacity which captures our eyes and ears conquers the young and the old alike. Comparing to the vast possibility lying ahead and the little that is done with media it makes us to sigh and exclaim like St. Paul woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel through the media.

Sr Jessy Jacob fsp