Rumours of interactivity

Last week rumours surfaced yet again that Apple were working on an interactive TV, amusingly named as the iTV. Quite apart from the obvious copyright issues, many have  grown sceptical of the Apple rumour machine – see below.

Image: www8.pcmag

The thing is, how would we actually feel if the TV took some notice when we shouted at it? One of the reasons we love to shout at the television, whether in approval, derision or encouragement, is precisely because the traffic is one way. We shout because we can, and we don’t actually want it to answer back.

As a preacher I frequently function in a one-way communication environment. I say my piece, people listen, and very occasionally they feed back on what they have heard. There has been much written and said about interrogative preaching, but most people pull back from the brink of it when the moment actually comes. Preacher and listener alike are unnerved by the prospect of actually turning the sermon into a two-way street. I shan’t be looking for any i-pulpits just yet!