Stones and Phones

"Technology always has unforeseen consequences, and it is not always clear, at the beginning, who or what will win, and who or what will lose." -Neil Postman

"Then I applied myself to the understanding of wisdom, and also of madness and folly, but I learned that this, too, is a chasing after the wind. For with much wisdom comes much sorrow; the more knowledge, the more grief." -Solomon

"Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will nt be taken away from her." -Jesus

"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has exceeded our humanity." -Albert Einstein

Because I am a history major, I was frozen a bit when I realized that we could take a little device out of our pocket and immediately see the face of someone on the other side of the world. It happened when my brother Steve FaceTimed his friend Kit in Australia.

This is why that moment froze me. Technology, for the most part, has always promised mankind that life can get better, faster, and easier. I'm particularly fascinated by how technology has changed communication. I think it was the Ancient Egyptians that realized that they could write on papyrus instead of stone tablets. Why would they do such a thing? Well...simple. Its much easier to write with a quill than a chisel, and paper doesn't weigh as much as a stone tablet. Therefore, communication was quicker and easier. The train would continue to move forward.

The Pony Express delivered letters really fast. Until the railroad did is faster. Until cars did it faster. Until planes did is faster. Until Telegraphs did it faster. Until Telephones did it faster. Until Cell Phones did it Faster. Until FaceTime, Zoom, and Messenger did it faster, allowing my brother to see a face and hear a voice in Australia without moving or working at all. All you have to do is open your mouth and say, "Hey Siri...FaceTime Joe Blow and Jane Doe."

The pursuit of efficiency had seemingly come to its end. Certainly mankind would find the peace and rest now that communication was as easy as possible. Our generation finally did it. We achieved the goal everyone had been chasing. We finally replaced stones and tablets with phones and tablets. Let the celebration begin.

But it wasn't over. A new day would dawn where we could create communication that never existed.

I was filling up the truck with gas at Costco a couple days ago when YouTube suggested a video to me where Adele and Eminem worked together to write a powerful praise and worship song called "Praise." I listened to it. One problem. Adele and Eminem didn't ever write a powerful praise and worship song called Praise.

Look what we created. We created things that create things that weren't genuinely created.

If you are paying any attention at all, you know that anxiety and depression are everywhere, families are falling apart, food isn't getting any better, therapists have waiting lists, abuse and trauma are perpetual, the kids are suffering like crazy, people are getting fatter, and loneliness is an epidemic.

What will you do about it?