I recently stood on the lawn of Thomas Edison’s winter home in Fort Myers, Florida. As much as I marvel at his brilliance, I was most impressed with the reason for his inventions. He invented because he saw the needs of the world and wanted to meet those needs. From light bulbs to rubber plants, his goal was to help humanity.
One of the needs he addressed was that of making information accessible to every person in the world. This led to the invention of the phonograph. By 1888 he was producing phonographs for families to purchase for their homes. In an article for the North American Journal, he wrote, “The speeches of orators, the discourses of clergymen, can be had ‘on tap,’ in every house that owns a phonograph.”
Edison’s vision for the phonograph was 10 years in the making. He believed a time was coming when words would be recorded and heard by people in every home in every nation. Even when he began to sell the phonograph he produced a standardized model to insure every country would be able to use it. He wrote, “a record put upon the machine in New York could be placed on another machine of the same pattern in China and speak exactly as it was spoken to on this continent.” In his article he gave example after example of ways the phonograph would change communication. As we know, it did exactly that.
Like Edison, Great Commission publishers hunger to find new ways to bring the transformational words of their authors to a world where every kind of content is accessible. The need for more Christian content is evident. Who would have dreamed of the proliferation of pornography and violence unavoidable except by complete disengagement from TV and the Web? Who would have imagined that our world would allow a new Web domain just for pornographic content? I suggest it is time for a new domain called .God. While I haven’t invented .God, I do have a vision for delivering Christ-inspired content where every heart and mind can choose to respond, where Christ is already at work making Himself known.
When we first began our journey that has led to NewHopeDigital.com we didn’t realize the ability of our staff and the shared vision of our authors to make this a reality. But when God gives the vision, He also provides everything needed to accomplish it. Thomas Edison said, “If we did all the things we are capable of, we would literally astound ourselves.” The Bible states, “In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory” (Ephesians 1:11-12 ESV).
New Hope Digital is to the praise of His glory for it brings the needs of the world together with the God-given expertise, ministries, and messages of New Hope’s authors to create a global discussion and response. Our authors are not only writers, but Christ-followers actively involved in living out their faith.
Yesterday’s phonograph is today’s instant message. I believe God knew the spiritual needs of the world would require far more than phonographs in the twenty-first century. New Hope Publishers and our authors share a passion to make Christ known through every means we are capable of providing. We pray NewHopeDigital.com will inspire and encourage you as a Christ follower and that God will empower you to serve Him in your home, your community, and the world.
“Christ himself wrote it—not with ink, but with God’s living Spirit; not chiseled into stone, but carved into human lives—and we publish it” (2 Corinthians 3:3 MSG).
All Scripture quotations marked ESV are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture marked MSG taken from The Message. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.
