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Life Ways Living Evangelically in a Technological
World We live immersed in technology and entertainment. It forms and informs us without our even giving it a second thought. Whether we buy the latest gadgets, or reflect upon technology with a philosopher’s mind, or reject the advance of the machine entirely, the technological world is the place of our commitment, because it is the world of today. The minds behind the inventions seek to create the computer that will be more human than humans. Changes come at so rapid a speed that many suffer "change fatigue." Sharpening our awareness of technical dependency and suspending it at certain times helps us create space in our life for a tranquil center. We are God’s beloved creation. We are not machines interfaced to living, feeling computers. If we commit ourselves to times of prayer, we commit ourselves also to contributing evangelically to a technological world. The advances of technology can and do serve us. They can "advance" us as human persons. We must bring both "worlds," which are so often considered antithetical, into dialog within ourselves, sweeping them up in the one desire to glorify God. Technology at the Table Andrei Rubylov’s masterful icon The Holy Trinity became one of my favorite icons since a retreat I made some time ago. The icon was displayed near the tabernacle, and I spent many hours with it in prayer. To see a picture of the icon, click here. In the icon there are three angels, representing the three persons of the Trinity. They are seated around a table. I think I was drawn to the icon by its striking stillness, as if the three persons were frozen in time. At the same time, there is in the picture a sense of warmth and life that circulates among the persons of this Trinity, extending out to include the person at prayer. The stillness in the picture quickly brought me to quiet. I didn’t know what the artist had intended to express by the position of the angels, what they were communicating by their posture towards one another, and their arrangement around the table in relation to the person gazing at the icon. But I did know that I saw them as frozen yet alive, still yet warm, silent yet resounding an invitation. They lived in an eternal Now. They were offering an invitation to me. The three are seated to the left and right of the table, and one in the back who faces the person at prayer. There is a place for one more at the table. There is a place for me, I thought. I am welcome here. I am wanted. I have been thought of. I am being drawn into this mysterious relationship. The Son and the Spirit have their heads slightly bent toward the Father, their gaze fixed on him. The Son receives his being from the Father, from all eternity and with no beginning. The Spirit is this loving bond between Father and Son. In the reverent gesture of the Son and the Spirit, one becomes profoundly aware that all life has sprung from the Father’s giving. This concept is hard to wrap our minds around, and will remain forever the greatest of mysteries. But springing from the mystery of the Trinity, like a fountain, is the truth that the Father is a Person, initiating personal relationships and expressing personal love. The love that exists between Father and Son is so real and profound that it exists as a person, the Spirit. There is a remarkable similarity in vocabulary used in reference to the Trinity and technology, words which become twisted and distorted the faRther the two move from each other. The Trinity, origin and source of life and holiness, defines the absolutely indisputable priority of the person, the eschatological perspective, and the gratuitous gift of eternal salvation. Generation, procession, love.... Generators and processors, the hardware and software which run the "processes" of our daily lives have the danger of becoming destructive unless they take their cue from the eternal generation and procession in the personal love of the Trinity. This means communication must be based on love. Technology’s purpose must be enfolded into the Trinitarian circulation of community and communicated love. When we take our place at the table and assume our rightful dignity as sons in the Son through the power of the Spirit we can take up technology in a manner which puts the person and spiritual realities first. There is an eschatological pull in Rubylov’s masterpiece that draws into it all of the split-second calculations performed by computers. Being called to the table, wanted and loved, we can put all technology back into eschatological perspective. This shift, in which we assume the leadership and put technology within eternal horizons, restores technology to its own dignity and purpose. Technology has created in persons a mechanized consciousness. We operate efficiently, always improving, sweating our way to the absolute perfect solution that will be our "technical salvation." At the beginning of the twenty-first century we have to admit, however, that efficiency impoverishes relationships. This drive toward improvement smothers the playfulness and simplicity necessary for symbol and ritual, a deeply human way of growing in wisdom. The illusion of achieving a "salvation" assured by technology is an illusion takes our eyes off of the salvation already won for us by the Savior. To counter this drive, the impact of Rubylev’s icon washes over our consciousness: there is no time, there is only Now. And Now we are invited to the table. Technology Challenges Christian Life Regular times of contemplative prayer bring us more and more deeply into a desire for intimate communion. Because of our heavy use of technology and the media, computerized communication, microwave, cable, satellite, we may discover that our understanding of "intimate communion" is abstract, outside our body. For the "unconcious" medium that exists between two people begins to form the conversation of the persons. The box that transmits the sit-coms and movies shapes its watchers. The anonymity of cyberspace disposes the heart differently in relationships. Technology can create moments of contemplation and link us to the ancient tradition. Try this prayer exercise: Praying with favorite music Choose a song that fits what you’re feeling right now. Sit in a comfortable chair or stretch out on a sofa. Close your eyes and get in touch with what you are feeling. Let your feelings surface and open your heart to God. Invite him into that "alone place" with you. Let him draw close. Feel his presence near. Play the song you’ve chosen and listen to the instrumentation. Let the sounds fill your mind and heart. Feel the movements of the music. Let it take you to where you feel the most intense. Invite God to be there. Ask him to open your heart to his voice. When it has finished playing, listen in silence to what the Lord is saying to you. After a time, play the song again, this time concentrating on the lyrics. After the song is over, remain with the words that affected you the most. Share them with the Lord. It is also in moments of contemplation that technology can challenge our living of the Gospel. The search for cures, the drive for a more united planet, the thirst for communication, the emergence of a greater social responsibility, the artistic reflection on the deepest drives in our hearts all of which emerge from the technological world, these should keep us from entering a contemplative cocoon where we become wrapped up solely in our "personal relationship" with God. Though the table in Rubylev’s icon is small, it is not meant to fit only four. The entire world together is called to the table in such a way that the same communication that exists among the persons of the Divine Community (the Trinity) exists also among us, though it be held always in the gentleness of reconciliation. Jesus came to connect people to God, and people to people. The electronic means of communication are also "connectors." They can be tremendous tools in the hands and hearts of those who believe in connection and community. Like Jesus they can be servants of our reconciliation and community: May you be praised, Lord God, for the printed word, bread for our minds, light for our lives. We give thanks for the talents and dedication of all who serve the truth in love and for all whose technical skills make possible the production of books, newspapers, magazines and reviews. We celebrate, Lord, the modern marvel of television which brings in to the heart of our homes the joys and the pains of all human living. Music, drama and laughter are shared in ways undreamed of in the past. May you be praised, Lord God, for the radio which soars on the wings of the wind and provides for each nation an immediate channel for news, views and entertainment and a means of offering to the listening world its own distinctive voice. We celebrate, Lord, the writers, artists, directors, and all those whose gifts light up both theater and cinema and provide audiences with heightened awareness of their human condition. We thank you, Lord God, for the unending Pentecost of your creative Holy Spirit, that enables your sons and daughters to catch fire from your Truth, Beauty and Goodness. We celebrate the wonder of digital communications manifesting a new iconography that can link people around the globe in solidarity of faith, hope and love. May the blind see, the deaf hear, and the poor have the Good News proclaimed to them by all who rejoice in their God-given talents and their gift of creativity. Amen.
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