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Dr. Scott Johnson and the ‘hype machine’
May 27, 2015 / By Kathleen Rubino / .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
During the Laity Session at the 2015 session of the Upper New York Annual Conference, Conference Lay Leader Dr. Scott Johnson asked God to plant a seed in laity, a seed that will grow.
Dr. Scott Johnson“Jesus’ heart was big enough and His heart was wide enough, and His arms were wide enough to welcome those who needed to hear the truth; Jesus was always there to help people who were lost,” Johnson said, referencing John 4. “We don’t have to imagine or dream; there is always a field ready for harvest.”
Johnson also discussed movies and what he calls the “hype machine” – examples of the machine are advertising for the new Star Wars movie that premiered on the Internet more than six months before the movie will hit theaters, and holiday sales that occur months before the actual event.
He said the hype machine can spin out of control, leaving people feeling a little lost, as the basic truth is swept aside.
“The hype machine can do some good things – it’s important to know when things are happening – but sometimes it can blow up, (and) become this dragon we have to combat,” Johnson said.
In John 4, Jesus points out there are four months to the harvest. Johnson said this is similar to the hype machine.
“No matter how many months until the harvest, we don’t need to leave the blessedness and the joy of the moment we are in lost,” he said. “There are always opportunities to do God’s will. There is no need to think about what is far away. Look right now and be reminded of what’s important; you don’t have to think four months out. If you start to let the machine turn you into someone who is … overstressed or too excited, you can lose focus of what’s important. There is always a field ready for harvest.”