So, how is 2026 working for you so far?
I realize that this is a rather strange question for us, as we are now just finished with January; however, it is common for people to make New Years resolutions at the first of the year and to have already abandoned them a month later. You know what I mean when it comes to getting in better physical shape at the gym or eating a healthier diet, etc.. Well, this year I found an interesting resolution that churches might take time to consider, namely “Janalogue”.
Janalogue has been defined as an attempt in 2026 to undertake less screen time and to substitute analogue over digital technologies. Now this goal is accomplished by using a MP3 player instead of your smartphone for music, or perhaps you may even go back to vinyl records or cassette tapes for musical entertainment that is off-line. A person might also ditch the e-book device and return to actual paper-printed books. Maybe, you might darken the doorway of a public library again. Others might blow the dust off those old board games in your closet and invite friends over to play “Clue” again. There is also the opportunity to actually pick up a pen and paper and write a letter to a friend in place of email or texting. Some people are also taking up analogue hobbies like knitting or woodworking, as a substitute to the time spent endlessly scrolling for something of interest on the Internet. Should this resolution actually become a habit in 2026, many people are now at a crossroads.
It is not only people in general who must discern choices in 2026, but many churches are also at a crossroads. It is also no secret that after the isolation of Covid 19, many Sunday church attendees did not return. During that epidemic churches went digital to keep in contact with members, yet upon re-opening after the pandemic, we now retain a hybrid model in many cases. Still, we are left with a major problem, that is, how effective is this new model.
Yes, it would seem that we are standing at the crossroads just like blues guitarist, Robert Johnson in 1937. Here are some lyrics to his song “Crossroads”.
I went to the crossroad, fell down on my knees
I went to the crossroad, fell down on my knees
Asked the Lord above, “Have mercy, now, save poor Bob if you please”
Yeah, standin’ at the crossroad, tried to flag a ride
Ooh-ee, I tried to flag a ride
Didn’t nobody seem to know me, babe, everybody pass me by.
Now the myth of Robert Johnson is that the choice he made at the crossroad was to “sell his soul to the devil” in order to play the guitar better, (Shades of “Dr. Faustus” by Christopher Marlowe). Hopefully, we make better choices through the Spirit of discernment. Meanwhile, there are technology choices that we can make that can move us in a better digital direction, Our promotion of Open Source software and the Linux operating systems, are some of the choices. They offer some personal control over privacy, cost, and lessens our reliance on American “big tech” companies, that presently are not serving the interests of freedom of choice. Many European countries are re-evaluating their use of these companies and transitioning to “Open Source” alternatives, so that they are not held as a technological hostage.
So in 2026 let us re-evaluate our use of technology, be it digital or analogue, and assess its usefulness in being able to walk in the path of Christ into the future, for we, too, are at a crossroads.
Rev. Martin Dawson, retired and living in Cornwall, PEI