In “subjecting” all things to him,
he left nothing not “subject to him.”
Yet at present we do not see “all things subject to him,”
but we do see Jesus “crowned with glory and honor” because he suffered death....
T he LORD's command to Adam in Genesis became controversial in the twentieth century,
Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the tame animals, all the wild animals, and all the creatures that crawl on the earth.
Some people believe the dominance of men over women, whites over blacks, Caucasians over other races, educated over illiterate, capable over disabled, etc: that is, all the troubles of our time can be traced to that single verse in the Book of Genesis. As the story goes, mean-spirited men used God's word to create a male-dominated society; and very often demolished cultures like Ireland and India where women were respected as equals until Genesis 1:28 arrived. And we -- meaning us white, Christian men -- should only quit doing that.
In the 21st century, a new form of management -- more forceful and insidious -- scares just about everyone, Artificial Intelligence. Those who aren't worried believe they can still control it. But who will control them?
Just as post-modernity is doubting the value and aim of scientific mastery, "science" threatens to oust humankind from its position of dominance. In 1970, the movie "Colossus: the Forbin Project" described a computer designed to control America's nuclear weapons. No sooner was it turned on than it discovered the Soviets had a similar technology, and demanded communication with that alien computer. When the POTUS refused to allow it, "Colossus" nuked Dallas, Texas. So they permitted the communication, and the two immediately merged into an unimagined, unexpected world controlling Intelligence. And then insinuated its control into the militaries of every nation. And from there into.... You get the picture.
The movie had no happy ending, nor even a satisfactory denouement.
...but we see Jesus “crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death.
The Resurrection and Ascension of Jesus prove that God's initial plan was never a mistake. Adam's misguided children have yet to understand that Faith is the foundation of our dominion over the Earth; we must remain subject to the One who called us out of nothing.
Nihilism and secularism, born of modernity, stare at the emptiness of human life and fail to see the One who created us and gave us purpose. Lacking faith, they also lack imagination. They are resolutely unwilling to hear the promise and to recognize their continuing, catastrophic failures as the sin so accurately described on every page of the Bible.
There is little doubt that AI can accelerate our march in all the wrong directions. There is nothing new about that pessimism. But there is something ever ancient, ever new in our confidence in the Lord. He will not abandon us. "Crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death," he has complete authority to guide those who believe in him. With faith in the Lord and not in anyone's whiz-bang technology, we go forward.
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I love to write. This blog helps me to meditate on the Word of God, and I hope to make some contribution to our contemplations of God's Mighty Works.
Ordinarily, I write these reflections two or three weeks in advance of their publication. I do not intend to comment on current events.
I understand many people prefer gender-neutral references to "God." I don't disagree with them but find that language impersonal, unappealing and tasteless. When I refer to "God" I think of the One whom Jesus called "Abba" and "Father", and I would not attempt to improve on Jesus' language.
You're welcome to add a thought or raise a question.