Sunday, April 15, 2007

Information Or Transformation?

Recently I posted on how many non-Christians actually believe in the resurrection of Christ. I also made the statement that " information does not transform lives, Jesus does."

Sharing this with the guys at church, I got a few comments back. Primarily, that information DOES change people. The example given - What about when we touch a hot stove?

I'm not very quick in my thought process, but it occurred to me that situations like that are only temporary. It takes a mind AND heart impact to make long-lasting transformation. In fact, touching a hot stove is really an "experience," not just the transfer of information. I still assert that it takes connectiveness and relationship for real transformation.

Consider this from Tony Morgan. A team member of his said, "People will follow vision. They won't follow information."

Tony responds, "We sometimes think if we just give people more information, they're more likely to connect and engage in ministry. More often than not, though, more information creates more confusion over what's really important. It's distracting. It's overwhelming. People stop listening."

"People do follow vision. In fact, they're energized and unified by it. If it's a God-ordained vision and the right leadership team stewards that vision well, it can have the power to transform people's lives."

Amen