In yesterday\u2019s post I examined ways in which technology can support God\u2019s work in the world. Specifically, I noted now the early Christian use of letters and roads helped to spread the good news of Jesus Christ throughout the Roman world.
\nYet Scripture also bears witnesses to potential downsides of technology. A major negative example comes from Isaiah 44. The Lord has just revealed himself to be \u201cthe first\u201d and \u201cthe last.\u201d \u201cWho is like me?\u201d he asks. \u201cLet them proclaim it. . . .\u00a0 Is there any god besides me? There is no other rock; I know not one\u201d (44:6-8). Then the Lord speaks about idols and those who make them in an extended passage that speaks of the use of tools, i.e. technology:<\/p>\n
All who make idols are nothing, and the things they delight in do not profit; their witnesses neither see nor know. And so they will be put to shame. Who would fashion a god or cast an image that can do no good? Look, all its devotees shall be put to shame; the artisans too are merely human. Let them all assemble, let them stand up; they shall be terrified, they shall all be put to shame.
\nThe ironsmith fashions it and works it over the coals, shaping it with hammers, and forging it with his strong arm; he becomes hungry and his strength fails, he drinks no water and is faint. The carpenter stretches a line, marks it out with a stylus, fashions it with planes, and marks it with a compass; he makes it in human form, with human beauty, to be set up in a shrine. He cuts down cedars or chooses a holm tree or an oak and lets it grow strong among the trees of the forest. He plants a cedar and the rain nourishes it. Then it can be used as fuel. Part of it he takes and warms himself; he kindles a fire and bakes bread. Then he makes a god and worships it, makes it a carved image and bows down before it. Half of it he burns in the fire; over this half he roasts meat, eats it and is satisfied. He also warms himself and says, \u201cAh, I am warm, I can feel the fire!\u201d The rest of it he makes into a god, his idol, bows down to it and worships it; he prays to it and says, \u201cSave me, for you are my god!\u201d (44:9-17)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
The problem in this passage isn\u2019t technology per se, but rather how it is used and how people respond to that which their tools have created. There is nothing wrong when the carpenter uses his tools to take wood from a cedar tree in order to make a fire to warm himself and bake his bread. But when he uses technology to form an idol, then he has done something wrong.
\nFrom the perspective of Isaiah 44, technology can be useful or harmful. It all depends on how it is used, on what it produces and how people use the product. The tools themselves are neither good nor evil.
\n![](\"https:\/\/www.markdroberts.com\/images\/iron-maiden-amsterdam-4.jpg\")
This doesn\u2019t mean that every technological innovation is necessarily value neutral. Certain tools, an Iron Maiden, for example, might embody evil in their very design. But much of technology falls into the category of the tools in Isaiah 44. (Photo: An Iron Maiden from the Torture Museum in Amsterdam.)
\nIsaiah 44 condemns the use of technology to make literal idols. But, when read today, it suggests an analogous implication. It seems to me that we have a tendency to idolize technology and its products. Though we don\u2019t literally worship our inventions, we do tend to hold them in the highest esteem. We come to regard them as necessary tools for living. We look to technology to save us from all measure of ills (including literal ills). Even in the church, we sometimes imbue technology with power that belongs to God.
\nSome years ago, a pastor friend of mine, I\u2019ll call him Eric, hosted another pastor from a nearby church. Eric\u2019s church was experiencing exciting renewal, growing size, in enthusiasm, and in maturity. The other pastor came to visit Eric to learn his secrets, as it were. Eric talked with this pastor about the things that were transforming his church: strong biblical teaching, empowering of lay people for ministry, a new vision for reaching the community, and so on. The other pastor seemed somewhat interested, but not particularly excited. Then Eric gave the pastor a tour of the church facility. When they visited the sanctuary, Eric pointed out how they had added screens for digital projection. Now the visiting pastor got excited. From his point of view, screens were the key to church renewal. For the rest of their conversation, as Eric tried to focus on what really matter, the other pastor kept wanting to talk about the screens: how much they cost, how they were installed, etc. etc. etc.
\nThis other pastor, it seems to me, was dangerously close to making an idol of sanctuary screens. He seemed to think that the renewal of his church was dependent on this particular technology, and that\u2019s what stirred his heart. Eric was disappointed in the meeting, believing that, if anything, he had helped this pastor to move forward in the wrong direction.
\nA year or so later, the other pastor had left his church under difficult circumstances. To my knowledge, his unhappy departure didn\u2019t have to do directly with screens in the sanctuary. But I expect his tendency to get his values upside down was a major reason why he was ineffective as pastor of a church desperately in need of genuine spiritual renewal.
\nSurely one negative impact of technology on our lives is our tendency to idolize it. Yet I fear this isn\u2019t the only problem with technology. In my next post I want to raise another concern about the use of technology in our lives, and especially in churches.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
In yesterday\u2019s post I examined ways in which technology can support God\u2019s work in the world. Specifically, I noted now the early Christian use of letters and roads helped to spread the good news of Jesus Christ throughout the Roman world. Yet Scripture also bears witnesses to potential downsides of technology. A major negative example…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":214,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-791","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-holy-week-easter"],"yoast_head":"\n
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Roberts","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","caption":"Mark D. Roberts"},"description":"The Rev. Dr. Mark D. Roberts is a pastor, author, retreat leader, speaker, and blogger. Since October 2007 he has been the Senior Director and Scholar-in-Residence for Laity Lodge, a multifaceted ministry in the Hill Country of Texas. Before coming to Laity Lodge, he was for sixteen years the Senior Pastor of Irvine Presbyterian Church in Irvine, California (a city in Orange County about forty miles south of Los Angeles). Before his time at Irvine Pres, Mark served on the staff of the First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood as Associate Pastor of Education. (Thanks to Janel Pahl for taking the photo to the right.) Mark studied at Harvard University, receiving a B.A. in Philosophy, an M.A. in the Study of Religion, and a Ph.D. in New Testament and Christian Origins. He has taught classes in New Testament for Fuller Theological Seminary and San Francisco Theological Seminary. Mark has written several books, including No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer (WaterBrook, 2005), Dare to Be True (WaterBrook, 2003), Jesus Revealed (WaterBrook, 2002), After \"I Believe\" (Baker, 2002), and Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther (Word, 1993). His most recent book is Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John (Crossway, 2007). He is currently working on a commentary on Ephesians that will be published by Zondervan in 2014. Mark writes a devotional for The High Calling of Our Daily Work, a website associated with Laity Lodge. His \"Daily Reflections\" can be viewed online or sent as a daily email. If you wish to receive this email, just visit TheHighCalling.org and sign up. Mark serves on the editorial board of Worship Leader magazine, where he publishes articles and reviews, including his regular column \"Lyrical Poetry.\" Additionally, he has published dozens of articles in leading magazines and journals. He often speaks for churches and other Christian groups, and has been interviewed on over seventy-five radio programs nationwide. Mark is married to Linda, who is a Marriage and Family Therapist, a Spiritual Director, and a retreat speaker. They have two children, Nathan and Kara.For Publicity Photos and Bio Statements for Mark, please check here. Mark's Dossier Professional History: Senior Director and Scholar-in Residence, Laity Lodge, October 2007 to present. Senior Pastor Irvine Presbyterian Church, June 1991 to September 2007 Adjunct Assistant Professor Fuller Theological Seminary, 1994 to 2007. Courses: New Testament Theology and Exegesis. Adjunct Instructor San Francisco Theological Seminary, 1995 to 2001. Courses: New Testament Greek and Exegesis Associate Pastor of Education First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood, 1987-1991 Teaching Fellow Harvard University, 1980-1983 Education: Ph.D. in the Study of Religion. Harvard University, 1992. Area: New Testament and Christian Origins M.A. in the Study of Religion Harvard University, 1984. A.B. magna cum laude in Philosophy Harvard University, 1979. Phi Beta Kappa; Danforth Fellowship Books: Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Crossway, 2007 No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer. WaterBrook, 2005 Dare to Be True: Living in the Freedom of Complete Honesty. WaterBrook, 2003. Jesus Revealed: Know Him Better to Love Him Better. WaterBrook, 2002. After \"I Believe\": Experiencing Authentic Christian Living. Baker, 2002. Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther in the Communicator's Commentary Series. Word, 1993. Contacting Mark: You can reach Mark at: E-mail: mark@markdroberts.com mroberts@laitylodge.org Phone: Laity Lodge: (830) 792-1216 Address: Laity Lodge 719 Earl Garrett Kerrville, TX 78028","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/author\/mroberts"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/791","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/214"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=791"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/791\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=791"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=791"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=791"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}