I’m giving a talk tonight on our need understand a new language medium for communication and Mission. I recently had a discussion with a group of young people about the concept or virtue of Modesty. I don’t think that it exists anymore as a living concept in contemporary culture. As Church community, we need to recognise that our existing concept of modesty especially with regard to dress and language really don’t speak to many people.

Modesty in Clothing and Speech is not part of the experiential world of so many young people. They post pictures of themselves in revealing positions (boys and girls) as a form of advertising, a type of shock tactic to get a response.

What has this to do with New Media and mission. Lots. Just as our written language has changed – texting has become txtg – so to our concept language has changed. Images that shock have become part of our daily fare – and we’re no longer shocked.

So with New Media – we need to develop a different language as church and community. A language that plays to our strengths rather than forcing us to reduce our great gifts to the shock language of the marketplace or social network