The Beautiful Letdown

Posted by Daniel Darnell on June 11th, 2008 at 9:08 am

iphone 3g

As I watched Steve Jobs reveal the new iPhone 3G on Monday, my heart filled with joy at the new features and looks. Then he announced the new price of $199 and my heart sank like the Titanic. The price blew my mind, but the problem was that I already own an iPhone. It was at that moment I realized that my “old” iPhone was now practically worthless. What was originally worth $431.92 dropped in a matter of seconds to a value of nearly nothing. I began trying to figure out ways to sell my phone so that I could get the new one in July. But then it hit me, just like my brothers use to, “Do I really need the new iPhone?”

As a Christian, I am not immune to consumerism and neither is the church. It’s so easy to get caught up in the new and notable technology and gadgets. We can justify it by saying we’re staying on top of the culture or trying to be relevant, which sometimes is true, but we honestly just want new toys. Within a few months or even minutes those new toys (instruments, projectors, computers, iPhones) become outdated and worthless because something bigger (or smaller) and better has come along. It’s in these moments that I’m reminded that this world does not satisfy and I thank the Lord that it doesn’t. Can I get an Amen?

As the church, we don’t always need the newest toys to tell the story of Christ. Sometimes is just as simple as a teacher and a Bible, and the Bible will never become outdated or worthless.

Who needs a new iPhone?! My current one work just fine. For crying out loud, I have an iPhone! I should get over myself and be thankful that I have even that.

So I leave you with these comforting lyrics from Switchfoot’s song Beautiful Letdown:

“It was a beautiful letdown,

The day I knew

That all the riches this world had to offer me

Would never do “

 

 

This entry was posted on Wednesday, June 11th, 2008 at 9:08 am and is filed under General, Tech. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

17 Responses to “The Beautiful Letdown”

Though I do not have an iPhone and currently plan on switching service to get one; I totally love this post. The church’s relevance in culture has nothing to do with how much stuff or things we can wow the unchurched, but it’s how we relate the timeless Biblical truths to their everyday lives.

Great stuff.

posted at 10:59 am on June 11th, 2008 by Jason

I agree. I have an iPhone and really enjoy it. But its just a tool.

posted at 11:21 am on June 11th, 2008 by Dan Rubottom

Maybe this will make you feel better: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,365347,00.html

posted at 11:54 am on June 11th, 2008 by Eric

Good stuff! Consumerism is so easy to get sucked into-especially as Christians…we like to buy lots of Christian junk, not to mention all the other junk we buy-only to buy the next and greatest thing 7.5 months later. I was blessed with a phone-payed half price-not half a grand.

I love the iPhone. Do I have one? No. Do I need one? No. Do I like my Blackberry? Yes.

posted at 12:36 pm on June 11th, 2008 by Kevin Mattison

For me, what’s true evidence of Christians being consumerist is that fact that we even post on such a topic of this. Don’t get me wrong, I see your point and it is good, but the fact that we even have to post on a new iPhone and the desires for one shows we have not raised Christ above earthly things as Christians, and definitely including myself. I am just praying for the day when Christians are other, and people do ask us about our hope that lies within, but people aren’t asking, because we too, are running to the Apple stores for the next gadget to take our money..

posted at 12:42 pm on June 11th, 2008 by Bill

i plan to use the GPS system on my new iphone every tuesday as i go on door to door visitation.
it doesn’t get more relevant than that does it? ;-)

posted at 3:41 pm on June 11th, 2008 by barton damer

“As the church, we don’t always need the newest toys to tell the story of Christ. Sometimes is just as simple as a teacher and a Bible, and the Bible will never become outdated or worthless.”

I love this line. As long as Christ is the center of our lives it does not matter what we do or do not have. I am struggling with this, and I am sure I always will. I need to remember that the Word of God is the ONLY thing that can save.

posted at 3:52 pm on June 11th, 2008 by Corey

I am intrigued by the iPhone because, well, it’s so cool, but I love my Blackberry Pearl. I have no desire to switch to anything else. It meets my needs beautifully.

Good post.

posted at 4:08 pm on June 11th, 2008 by Kim Priestap

I didnt get to see the video (I’ve been in baby world), but the same thing happened to me when I read about the price change. My wife and I had planned on selling our iPhones to put towards new ones. But after I read about the new improvements, we realized we have been doing fine without 3G and GPS. Everything else that is coming with iPhone 2.0 we can get with the update in July. So I just realized we would be getting new phone for the sake of something new.

posted at 4:59 pm on June 11th, 2008 by GregQualls

Conversely, you can imagine my pure elation upon hearing the news of the cheaper, more feature-ful iPhone. I was tough to not be an ‘early adopter’ last summer even though all my other cool designer friends got one.

Patience (and fighting consumerism) pays off. :)

posted at 7:18 pm on June 11th, 2008 by chuck

It’s funny how Apple seems to do that a lot to customers, it’s also funny how Windows Mobile phones have been doing this for years. Apple is overrated.

posted at 8:09 pm on June 11th, 2008 by Jefferson

Apple is to overrated. They have been letting people down for years now.

Where is the apple computer that can play games?

posted at 11:11 pm on June 11th, 2008 by David Hannah

Dang it! I just blogged on the iPhone! I coulda backtracklinkspam’d this! I hate a missed opportunity. (grin)

posted at 6:28 am on June 12th, 2008 by jimmy paravane

Cheaper?!? Not according to this article… http://tech.yahoo.com/blogs/null/94465

posted at 7:38 am on June 12th, 2008 by ChurchyDave

I 2nd Bill’s comment. I watched in amazement earlier this week as my co-workers sat glued to Apple’s WWCD.

I also highly suggest checking out William Cavanaugh’s Being Consumed: Economics and Christian Desire. It’s a quick read (100 pages) but very thorough. I recently posted a summary on my site.

posted at 7:53 am on June 12th, 2008 by Scott Lenger

ChurchyDave, I saw that article too. You get what you end up paying for I guess. (grin)

posted at 4:02 pm on June 12th, 2008 by jimmy paravane

I was going to pass until my organization decided to save money on hosting and stop supporting my Blackberry. I passed on the FIRST iPhone, but now my work is making me keep up with the Joneses.

posted at 12:09 pm on June 18th, 2008 by James Harleman

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