Awe and wonder.
The mystery of God.
These things I’ve been pondering for some time.
I have a theory.
Technology is amazing – helps us to double our speed, work more precisely (I’m thinking surgeries, specifically), do away with volumes of paper, watch/read/purchase anything, anywhere, at anytime, keep up with events in real time, bank, and accomplish volumes of other things…
(yes, there is a “but” coming)
BUT…
Technology steals our wonder.
Robs us of imagination.
Prevents us from the “WOW!” of seeing mystery.
Explains away our sense of “how can this be?”
In fact, technology can, if we aren’t careful, become for us the Spirit of the Lord.
Waaaaaay back in 2001, Mark Buchanan wrote a book he titled, “Your God is Too Safe.”
Subtitle: “Rediscovering the Wonder of a God You Can’t Control.”
I revisited that book this week.
In chapter 5, Buchanan says this:
Like Delilah, technology has wooed us to kill us.
I believe he’s right.
Like Samson, technology can take away what we need most: the Spirit of our God of Unfathomable Mystery. It wounds us, traps us, gouges out our ability to see clearly, and ultimately destroys our ability to do this one thing:
Glorify the Lord for the wonders He performs.
Praise Him for His amazing deeds.
Technology kills our testimonies, our “stories of the hope that is within us;” because we don’t have to rely on our Lord as much.
We certainly don’t need to pray any more.
All our wishing and our longings are at our fingertips.
We don’t need deep thought for creativity…AI will do that for us – from answering our text messages, to writing 12-chapter books for us in 5 minutes, to personalizing our shopping experiences (and on and on and on)….
Why travel and journey amidst our spectacular world, when we can walk virtually anywhere at all…
Technology cripples imagination and stunts more than we realize…
It robs us of adventure…
Strips us of spiritual growth, intimacy with Jesus, hearing His voice, sensing His nearness; because all of this requires revelation…
….and revelation requires imagination…
…and, with all AI offers us, who needs imagination…
The two go hand-in-glove.
AND, the bottom line is plain and simple: we stop worshipping the Lord with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength (with our all in all).
Perhaps it’s why we’re losing so many of the potential-next-gen-Jesus-Followers…
They aren’t intrigued.
They aren’t even slightly curious.
What they see in the church are folks who say they believe, but are void of the adventure that ought to characterize the Path of Life, in God’s Presence, with GREAT JOY.
Instead, I fear that what they really see is D-U-T-Y: a check list of do’s, and the Bible a manual of “how-to’s.”
I’ve frequently mentioned to women as I share in retreats:
When we think of Christianity in terms of duty, we threaten to destroy intimacy with our Savior.
He becomes just another check mark on a list of things I must get done:
Spend time with Jesus. ✅
Apparently, years back, author and Bible scholar, Os Guinness was speaking outside of the country. Following his talk, he was approached by a Japanese businessman, who said, “When I meet a Buddhist monk, I meet a holy man in touch with the world. However, when I meet a Western missionary, I meet a manager who is only in touch with the very world I know.” Guinness added this comment:
“You could say that many, many Christians are atheists unawares.”
[-Interview with Os Guinness, Books and Culture (July/August 1998): 17-]
So…ponder with me AWE & WONDER.
Check your AWE & WONDER meter…
Empty? Full? Worse yet, in the boring middle?
Take a gander and make some course corrections to refresh your IMAGINATION.
Go on an adventure with Jesus and find your awe again.
Live on the path of “surprised by God.”
Maybe the greatest gift you and I can give the next-gen is this word:
“All who were with Him were astonished…”
[-Luke 5:9-]
Astonished: to be in great wonder with admiration… from Old French: Uncontained wonder; thunderstruck.
Don’t let Delilah, (oops) I mean, technology steal your thunderstruck.
Guard it or find it.
Then hang on to it…
And, open your mouth at what God has done for you!
