Technology and God

Sunday, 22 February 2009

Some people fear technology, they're concerned that somehow 'new' things aren't holy. This is perhaps less of an issue than it has been in the past, but there are still people - often fundamentals, who veiw modern technology not as something to be embraced, but as something to be avoided. 

The problems with this are twofold;- one, there's no way you really live without technology or advancement. If you're british, chances are that you read the bible in English even if it is the KJV (and naturally, you may ascert that the KJV is the ONLY bible). The thing is, it was never written in English, and so translating it is effectively 'modernising' it. If you wear polyester, then that's 'modern', if you have electricity, that's very modern, if you sing along to an organ at church, that's also modern - perhaps not as modern as my electric guitar, but when contrasted with Jesus' day, it's pretty darned new. 

So be darned careful going on about how everything new is evil. Because the vast, vast majority of the stuff in your life is new - people aren't - they haven't really changed since creation, but your car, home, language, culture, tv programs, work - even books are new! So remember that. 

Secondly, we're called to be in the culture but not of the culture - and if you reject everything about the culture in which God (Yes, GOD!) has placed you, then how the heck can you be effective in that culture? We need to get into our culture and slowly affect it by showing people how they can use what they have, do, think, believe, feel, etc. to glorify God - we are called to be ambassadors of Heaven, buried in the mire of Earth and dragging great handfuls of Heaven down with us to make the lives of those around us lighter. 

Thirdly, a lot of this new stuff is good! The internet allows me to listen to Mark Driscoll, Tim Keller, Terry and Joel Virgo, Peter Anderson, Doug Fields, and many many more using iTunes free podcast downloads - if you don't have it, Google it - and Google is brilliant, it helps me to put together so much more teaching material faster than if I had to wade through every book I'd ever read. Wikipedia really helps with finding stuff out quickly, as do countless other sites of that nature, Bible Gateway has every different translation of the Bible going, and this cunning thing I use called Google Reader allows me to read BBC news for national/international news, the Mercury (GYs local paper), Mark Driscoll's Blog, Terry Virgos blog and another blog I read all from one place! 

We are called to positively affect our cultures - to do this, we need to get into that culture and start mining away at it. We need to know what's happening - use the internet for good, to learn and learn and learn and learn and grow, suck the life out of it, get every bit of goodness you can, and apply that to your life to help you grow - not to prove you're better than everyone else, just to take you to the next step. 

I highly recommend getting downloads from the local and national press - it's a darned good way to find out what you should be praying for! Really, really think about this.