VISUALCY

Back when our society moved from primarily oral communication to written communication, it was important that people learn to read and write. This new learning was called literacy. Today, we are in process of moving from a literate society to a visual society. Just as oral didn't disappear when reading came along, written won't disappear now that visual is front and center. Those who study and analyze this type of thing, call this new visual learning "visualcy." As in the past, we must learn how to communicate using these new methods. I must learn to learn visually and speak visually.

We already know this to be true, intuitively. I came across this example in a magazine recently. Consider the following statement, "The boy is sad." What effect does that statement have on you? Most of us who read that acknowledge the statement as a fact and it has no real impact on us.

Now, take a look at the same statement conveyed in a different medium.

How does this image affect you? For most of us, this image impacts us somewhere deep, in our gut. You look at this picture and you see more than a sad boy. The message conveyed is basically the same as above, but because of the medium it is received differently. It prompts me to ask why and what can I do to help.

The impact of images on our lives cannot be overstated. We are blasted by images everyday, some good and some bad. YouTube is the number one viral video website, and it communicates solely through images. It allows a lonely kid to video himself lip-syncing a song and dancing, post it on the web and be viewed by over 100 million people! It's insane.

In the midst of our image driven culture, what images are we posting in our minds regarding our faith? What images run through your head when you think about helping others, meeting new people, leading someone to Christ, worshiping, praying, etc.? The church in America is rediscovering the value of imagery in their faith. Statements of truth are being partnered with images of mystery to create a whole new experience of our Christian faith. It's an exciting time.

As we continue to explore alternative methods of communication at The Springs, we want to engage in all mediums. We want to include oral traditions around a family table. We want to provide you with fine written content to assist you in your personal devotion to Christ. And we want to explore innovative methods of visual communication.

This post was prompted by an article in Leadership Magazine entitled "But Now I See" by Shane Hipps.