Technology II - Trust Technology?! ...

Thursday, Feb 4, 2010. Technology is a fascinating topic. It surrounds us everywhere. Technology is an integral part of our modern world. I am someone who is excited about technology, I have to admit that. I like computers. I like modern design. We run a little company which provides software and services for large scale companies. That is fun and never boring. We are part of the current technological wave.

How much trust can we put into technology? It is quite reliable today. But - of course - there can be errors. It can break down. Your car can break down. The house you live in can fail. Planes can crash. Even fast trains sometimes have accidents with lethal consequences. Technology today is more reliable than it ever was, but it still can fail and fails now and then!

What is it, I build my life upon? What is it I trust most? Is my life built on the reliability of my neighborhood? Some of us have seen complete social systems breaking down. They do not trust in the state any more. Others have been part of an accident. They do not trust the technique any more. What is it, we can trust?

The trust in God is different from the trust in technology. When I turn the heating on, I expect a warm stream of air coming from the radiator. That is a kind of trust. I have particular expectations, and there is a very well defined outcome. But God is not operating in exactly the same way. He created the reliable environment we live in. He is the source of all our technology. Yes, he made us in a way such that we can be creative and use our nature, our ideas and resources. That is a part of his provision. But his way with us is not a pure extension of a kind of department store: God, please deliver two vanilla ice cream … and they fall down from heaven within 2.5 minutes. He can be trusted in the sense that he will find a path for us to go - even if we do not know which path this will be. The trust we can have in him is universal. We trust him, not a particular outcome.

I cannot see technology as completely separate from God. When technology provides a trustworthy tool, it is God's hand which is holding me. If something breaks down, it is still him who is there. His hand shapes a different way. The way he leads us might be “through a the valley of darkness”. Yes, it can be quite dark sometimes. But when we open our eyes, there is so much light coming from him, we will be amazed. I can trust technology, since I trust God. But my trust will never be blind - and never ignore the possibility that the technology might fail. But God never lets us down! He can be trusted completely. [R.W.E.P., jesusnetwork.eu]

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