An Inkling
I was reading
through my 1995 prayer journal, and found that Sarah and I were going over to
our friends, the Davises, to see something new they had on their computer –
AOL. That led to us debating whether it
would be worth the monthly fee ($9.95/month for five hours of on-line time –
but how could you possibly use that much time?!), whether email would catch on,
etc. We decided to go for it, and in a
few weeks our home was sounding with “You’ve got mail.” Twenty years later we’re still discovering
the full impact.
And twenty
years later, my iPhone has much more computing power and memory than my big box
computer did in 1995. With it I need not
even type – I just tell it what I’m seeking, and it goes to find it, or makes a
call for me, or reminds me that it’s time for my appointment, or…. And I carry it in my pocket! Amazing.
E.g., it took me less than a minute to find out what AOL cost in 1995,
and what you got for that $9.95.
Many have
said that the internet is having an even bigger impact than the printing
press. Twenty years later the world was
still discovering the changes that all those books brought. And we are certainly just beginning to
discover the full impact of the internet.
So with
the caveat of just twenty years’ experience, I offer these theological
observations about the internet:
- The difference between information and wisdom is all the more obvious. The supply of information is now limitless and instant. The supply of wisdom is no different than it has ever been, and is often even more hidden by the cyber-mountain of information.
- All amplifications of human abilities (think arts, sciences, athletics, etc), magnify our capacities for both good and evil, and are ever-ready occasions for idolatry. So, too, computers and the internet.
- As valuable as cyber-connections are (I treasure Facetime with my grandkids, and keep up with scores of old friends through Facebook), they are not the same as face-to-face relationships (not as slow, not as challenging, not as rewarding, not as formative).
You’ve got
mail, and a whole lot more. And we are
still discovering the full capacities of this amazing resource to serve the
Lord!
Blessings,
Keith
