In its introductory season on air the Serial podcast has become
one of the most popular podcasts in the world, surpassing even the long-time
champion This American Life, which is produced
by Serial host, Sarah Koenig. If you
are not currently among the over one million weekly listeners to the show- here
is a quick synopsis.
In 1999 a young teenager named Hae Min Lee was
murdered in Baltimore County, MD. When her body was finally discovered in a
nearby park, a fellow student named Jay Wilds came forward and testified that
Hae’s ex boyfriend, Adnan Syed, was the killer. In short order, Adnan was taken
into custody, tried, and convicted. For the past 15 years he has been living
out his days in a maximum-security prison in Maryland. He has never stopped
claiming his innocence.
In the course of a few months Koenig
has brilliantly strung together a series of podcasts that explores the entire
story for us in segments that range from 30-60 minutes. Every Thursday a
portion of the tale is told that pulls together new voices, new angles, new
theories and a heightened anxiety as we all hang on for another 7 days. It is a
brilliant formula and one that I have come to believe has invaluable lessons
imbedded in it for the church. The following are my top 5.
1. Explore the topics that matter
At the center of the Serial
podcast is a discussion of race, justice and religion. The three main
characters include an Asian woman, a black man and a Muslim with familial roots
in Pakistan. Issues of race and religion play a dominant role in the
conversations as does the subject at the heart of every episode- is Adnan
guilty or innocent? Has justice been served, or has a great injustice been
perpetuated for the past 15 years? Serial
is touching a nerve here and in the process demonstrating a strong penchant for
communal conversations on topics that are sometimes considered too
confrontation for pulpit time.
2. Do not fear a lack of closure
At the outset Koenig was clear to assure her audience that the story we were pursuing together may not have any
closure at all. Undoubtedly this causes anxiety for a number of listeners who
are desperate for resolution and it was a gamble amidst a culture that has come
to expect the drama of a 30-minute sitcom to be tied together nicely by the
close of the last commercial. But the gamble has paid off and has highlighted
our desire for authenticity over happy endings. Real life is far more grey and
complicated than what typical entertainment offers. Serial’s refusal to provide answers in black and white is
refreshingly honest.
3. Invite rather than dictate
Serial invites us, the listeners, to
participate. It raises questions, provides evidence, wrestles and doubts along
with us and Koenig is quick to refrain from offering easy answers. To speak in
pedagogical terms, Serial is less
didactic and more inductive. Instead of a lecture full of facts and figures Serial is a conversation punctuated with
penetrating questions, insights and comparative viewpoints. It is asking “what
do you think” and then it sits quietly for a week while you answer.
4. Encourage dialogue
In addition to the fame of the podcast
itself, Serial has also caused
chat-rooms, discussion groups, and all manner of social media to explode with
conversation. Quite literally, strangers from around the whole world are
talking about Serial. People speak
when they feel as if their voice matters. Through a mixture of humility and
honesty Koenig empowers us to join the conversation and participate in a story
that we feel we can impact. Serial makes us feel as if our opinion is not only valid, but wanted and valuable.
5. Be vulnerable with your own questions
Finally, we all feel as if Koenig is in
this with us. Despite the fact that she has far more information than any of
us, she doesn’t lord it over her listeners. She is quite comfortable with her
own doubts and unresolved questions, and that frees us to be more honest about
our own.
Next Thursday Serial will deliver the final episode of the season. Undoubtedly it will be a podcast event relatively on par with the likes of the Breaking Bad and Mad Men closers. While a final answer about Adnan may not be reached, one of the more lofty goals of the podcast has already proven to be successful- encouraging millions of people to gather together for one hour a week to talk about life's most important questions. It would not be a bad goal for the Church to reach for as well.
