Kingdom Tools
By Jake Hess
I remember one afternoon when I was trying to see something in the distance. My initial reaction was to grasp the edge of my vision and zoom in on the object like I was viewing the world through the mediation of my phone. It was a troubling revelation that my phone had caused me to lose touch with reality. Our smart phones, along with many recent technological advances, promise a better, easier, life. Yet, when we’re honest with ourselves, I think most of us would agree that they come with problems too. But do the problems outweigh the promises? Have our gadgets become so powerful that they own us rather than the other way around? Could we all be losing touch with reality? Is technology good, bad, or neutral?
Tools in the Kingdom
It can be easy to conclude that the Bible has nothing to say about technology. After all, most of the tools we use on a regular basis were recently invented. If we search for a broader definition, however, we begin to see that the Bible has a lot to say. Professor John Dyer is helpful in this regard. He writes, “technology is the human activity of using tools to transform God’s creation for practical purposes.” With this definition, we can see how much of what we depend on to navigate life, from language to shovels to the clothes we wear, are a form of technology; they are tools that help us interact with and shape God’s creation.
In this regard, we are unique. As creatures made in God’s image we are given a special task to display God’s glory in the world (Gen 1:26-28). Created from the dust of the earth and breathed to life by God’s breath (Gen 2:7), we are creatures of both heaven and earth. As heaven-meets-earth creatures, we are given the task of partnering with God in bringing heaven and earth together, of spreading the life and life of Eden over all creation. Our technology was always meant to aid us in this endeavor. However, the first humans rebelled against God, rejected His mission, and sought to live for themselves. This rebellion broke our central relationship with God, but it also ruined our relationship with one another, and the world. Tools were meant to be used to bring life, now we use them to bring death. Yet, God didn’t leave us in our mess. He went on a rescue mission to save His lost creation. Even more, He never set aside His plan to work alongside humans. Instead of working redemption in spite of us, He worked it through us, redeeming even our tools to bring heaven to earth.
Two Spectrums
Returning to our initial questions—is technology good, bad, or neutral—upon further reflection on the gospel story, we see an answer is not so simple. Instead of the good, bad, neutral scale, John Dyer offers a different spectrum that I think is far more helpful and biblical. It’s a spectrum between instrumentalism and determinism.
Instrumentalism is the belief that every technology is only good or bad depending on how it’s used. Our tools, therefore, carry no inherent values. This is the idea of neutrality. Determinism is the belief that “technology is the driving force of society” and is outside of our control. For those of us who feel glued to our phones, this seems true to experience. The biblical view, however, lands squarely in the center of these two poles. On the one hand, technology isn’t neutral because every tool—from shovels to smart phones—transforms how we see the world and limits or expands the options available to us. In addition, humans build values into their tools. The smart phone, for example, is not neutral because it’s connected to a network of engineers tasked by companies to research and implement the best ways to capture our attention and sell us their products. We become the products of the apps we love as they sell our attention and information to companies eager to proffer us their products. Yet, in the end, I don’t believe that technology determines everything about our lives. As creatures made in God’s image, we still have power to make decisions and partner with God in bringing good even out of the darkest of situations.
The King of Gadgets
The fact that technology is neither neutral nor determinative means we must be discerning about the tools we use and what we use them for. In our dependance on our gadgets we can lose sight of our need for God and our purpose to partner with Him in bringing life and light. Any technology has the potential to form us away from what’s most important or harm others in ways we might never have expected. A.I., for example, has led to amazing breakthroughs in the medical field, but has also been the cause of layoffs and mental breakdowns. But there is no need to fear, for God is ultimately the King of all gadgets. When we look to the cross, we see that God can use even the most brutal of tools in His work of redemption. The Romans may have used the cross to torture and oppress, but God used it in His plan to save and redeem through the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus. So, instead of viewing the world through our phones, let’s view it with a gospel lens. With wisdom and courage, let’s follow the example of our Savior in using the tools at our disposal not for our own benefit, but in partnership with the One who is making all things new.
