Is God in your Cell Phone...

This weekend we went to Pilgrimage.  Pilgrimage is a wonderful youth event where over 5000 youth gather together to worship through music, skits, videos, testimonies from youth, and a keynote speaker.  It is amazing to be a part of and one of my favorite trips to take the youth on.  A couple of years ago we enacted a no cell phones on youth trips policy.  This policy was put into place because at the time the youth were more interested in their cell phones than hanging out with the people that were with them on the trip.

I catch some grief or it now and then from the youth but for the most part they understand and comply.  At pilgrimage this year there were a lot of youth with cell phones around us.  They were on Twitter and Facebook, sending text messages, and making calls.  It was okay when the actual event wasn't going on but you would think it would stop when the music started.  It didn't.  It continued.  It even continued through out everything that was going on.  When there were youth up on stage providing their personal stories of how they came to find Christ there were youth on their cell phones and talking.  When the keynote speaker was on stage sharing the message, there were youth on their cell phones. 

It was very distracting and disrespectful.  What I didn't understand was that there were adults with all these groups and they did nothing to stop their youth from using their cell phones.  In fact many adults were on their cell phones as well.  It was truly a shame.

Why do I tell you this? I tell you this because I wasn't the only one that noticed the disrespectful use of cell phones and talking that was happening during the event.  Our youth noticed it.  They would tell me after each session how distracting and disrespectful the other youth were who were using their cell phones.  They even mentioned the adults on their phones. They couldn't believe that they were engaged in the message that our dynamic speaker was bringing. 

I know that I made the no cell phone rule but when the youth themselves see first hand why that rule is in place it validates it.  I think it was wonderful that all those youth were there and hopefully through their talking and cell phone usage they still received a message.  I know that our youth did.  I can tell by the tears that were shed during the Saturday night session that our youth heard the message and accepted it. 

I know that you can find God in your cell phone but when he is right in front of you with open arms, put the cell phone away!