So many centuries ago, the descendents of Noah gathered on a great plain to construct a mighty city surrounding a tower that would reach into the heavens. United in language and culture, man's limits seemed to stretch just beyond his ever growing reach. God recognized the potential of man to do extraordinary things. In His sense of justice and compassion, God went to see this structure of man and decided it to be built out of wickedness instead of faith. The men of the time confirm this with their own words when they claim to build it lest they be forgotten or scattered throughout the earth. Self interest moved man from faithful trust in God to provide to the rebellious state of erecting a great city with its tower stretching into the heavens.
As Genesis tells us, God scattered the people of the city by setting new languages in their tongues. No longer able to come together united in each other, they spread throughout the earth. The very fear that drove them to reach into the heavens became their punishment.
Our self interest seems to have us return to a common language based not on words and phrases but on 1s and 0s. The technology of today, continues to expand at an unbelievable rate as we unwrap the mysteries of DNA, strike deeper into space and continue to shrink the world through advances in communication.
Who could deny the blessings to come from these advances in technology as we celebrate the ability to complete surgery with only two or three small incisions? How would we feed our growing populations without the breakthroughs in agricultural science? How many people with diseases receive instructions from tiny machines held in their hands that perform tests day in and day out? What of the soldier or business man who says good night to his children while working half way across the world? The advances in technology offer many blessings for us all.
As I type on my laptop after completing a search of scripture and corresponding commentary, I marvel in the time saved by having volumes of books at my fingertips. How do we balance our good with the evil perpetrated with the increasing advancements in knowledge?
So many technological advances become perverted from their original use to suit the needs and desires of others. As for each of the benefits listed above, I believe perversions exist, created for the harm of others. Our 1's and 0's chart a digital course towards omniscience, omnipotence and omnipresence. In our attempts to be heard and seen and most importantly not forgotten, we seek to achieve as a civilization the nature of God's being which allows our Creator (minding my inclusive language) to know, influence and experience all.
Just as our ancestors attempted to reach into the heavens long ago, we bring the vantage of the heavens to us through our satellites and orbital telescopes. We must guard against our digital reformation from becoming a digital revolution against God. Should we clone a human because we believe we can? Does the ability to listen in on our international neighbors give us the right too? To what end do we unravel and reconstruct the DNA of our unborn children in an effort prevent disease and imperfections?
In an attempt to answer these questions, I refer back to the old saying, "if you have to ask how much it is, you probably cannot afford it". These brave new world technologies will cost us much of our humanity. If we need to ask how much of our humanity they will demand, I think it safe to say, we cannot afford it.
Monday, March 23, 2009
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