I have a friend from seminary named Mark. He sold me my first Macintosh (yes I still sometimes use their full name to describe them), an iBook G3, back when Motorola still made Apple’s processors, and sid a dang fine job at it, too.
This beast of a white laptop came with Accordance. For those of you that don’t know what Accordance is, it is the most glorious little bit of Bible study and reseach software on the planet. Better than Logos. Better than Olive Tree. You name it, and Accordance is better.
So, today Mark posted something about the CEO of Apple Computer and the new law that is in effect in Indiana. There has been quite a kerfluffle about potential volations of civil liberties to gays.
Now, granted, 19 states have already passed similar laws. And now, Indiana has a law that is now causing these groups, including Tim Cook, to single out Indiana, and not the other 19?
This is hypocrisy on behalf of Mr. Cook and other activist groups, of course.
But, I digress. Back to the point of the post.
My response to Mark, which I think holds true for the rest of us who are up in arms over Indiana and considering boycotting groups like Apple over their social stances brings something else to the table for your consideration.
I wrote:
The inherent problem with Apple is the same with Microsoft AND Linus Torvalds. The computing industry is an industry that was founded and populated by people with the Redemptive Gift (Romans 12:5-8) of Ruling. Between Bill Gates, Steve Ballmer, Steve Jobs, Linus Torvalds and others, that they were very “my-way-or-the-high-way”-oriented and invoked fear and kowtowing from EVERYONE who worked, or rathe, slaved, for them should come as NO surprise to any of us. The industry runs on this sort of fear.
I just purchased my most recent laptop and it was a Mac, and I have no illusions about what Apple Computer , Microsoft, the FOSS industry, and others do. And until Apple and all the other industries clear out shrines to Steve Jobs (his office and name plate are still present at Cupertino) and others, AND until we the consumers get used to the idea that we don’t have to kowtow to anyone who is a Ruler, but rather we have been given full authority to pray well for these people, not a whole lot is going to change.
We need a redeemed perspective switch that says, “hey I own an Apple product, and therefore, I have the capacity, greater authority, and responsibility given by Jesus, who has all authority, yo cry out to G-d for change and justice and redemption of people like Tim Cook.
Boycotting will not help so much (unless the HS says to) as continuing to purchase and then realizing that your status as a consumer also entitles you to pray for the redemption of whomever is the ultimate recipient of your money.
There is great authority in buying from companies that the church has yet to realize and then leverage in the Kingdom for the transformation of hearts. If you buy from them, then cry out for them. You have the authority.
Just giving you some godly counsel, brother.
So, as it stands. I would contend that, as a returning Macintosh user, our responsibility as the church is to pray, especially when G-d has given us the calling, and especially when we are taking our dollars, which are kingdom dollars, redeemed dollars, dollars that can be used for the effecting of change, and speak for the redemption of these lost people who militate against us.
What if a movement of people in the church started interceding for Torvalds, Cook, and others in the tech industry on a regular basis, having consumed programs and machines of their own design. Perhaps Steve Jobs might have been redeemed. Perhaps Cook and Torvalds, a virulent atheist, may yet be…and perhaps they may be able to effect kingdom change following their conversion based on the tender-hearted intercession of believers who are unoffended by their behavior.
It is as my mother once wrote to me, on a yellow letter in 1991 that is now lost,
“…Ask Him to soften the heart of a mean person. He works wonders.”
