Page 6 - Good News September 2013 paper

The God (little g) in Our Pockets
The God (little g) in Our Pockets
was talking to my mother last
week about the readily avail- But as much as I like all of this
Iable technology we have in our
smartphones. She was telling me,
half-jokingly, "I can always 1950's where you actually had to
google something. So if I'm in a
conversation and I don't know
what they are talking about, I can
quietly google it and sound tempted to replace God with
smart." We laughed, because we
have all been there. And perhaps
with Google glasses we won't
even have to figure out ways to
inconspicuously look down and
type it in our phones.
It's sure nice to have Google with
us. In the middle of the night when
my child is sick and exhibiting
symptoms I'm not familiar with, I
can quickly google, "Coughing
and fever, plus a rash" and get
results. If I'm on a trip to Denver
for business, I can google, produce. Worse yet, this little god
"weather in Denver tomorrow." Or
if we are wandering about and
looking for a McDonald's with a
Playplace, I can google (not while
driving, of course!), "McDonald's
with a Playplace near me." I can
actually speak it into Google and
it comes up with info. The same
goes for business hours for my
favourite barber shop, the closest
Starbucks, or how to change the
headlight in a Chevy Blazer (my
brother did that and it saved my
parents lots of money on repairs).
technology and as much as I
really don't want to go back to the
know stuff and read maps and be
satisfied with looking dumb in
conversations, I wonder if we are
Google. I'm not joking - I'm
speaking honestly about a very
real temptation I face, particularly
when I'm in trouble.
http://b-i.forbesimg.com/
See, my first inclination, when
something bad comes up, when still” means to stop phoning to know Him. That's why Paul
I'm uncertain, is not to get on my friends, stop SMS’ing, stop says that when we are weak, we
knees in prayer. It's to grab my panicking and to just be quiet and are strong (2 Corinthians 12:9).
phone and type or speak and listen to God. Oh, if we could learn
expect an answer. Sometimes this in our generation. I fear that Imagine the folly of God's own
this is helpful. But sometimes it's we are so dependent, so given to people, redeemed by His grace in
a dangerous crutch, a rabbit trail the illusion of being our own little Christ, running around with their
for answers that Google can't gods, that we have forgotten the smartphones acting as if they can
art of silence, solitude and run their own lives. From a
in my pocket gives me the illusion worship! I struggle with this theological and logical stand-
of being in control. I can solve mightily. point, it's pretty silly. And yet
this. I'm smart. I have tools that that's the life we subscribe to.
can give me answers. Why must we be still to know That's the life I often live.
God? Because the act of silence,
This is why the words, “Be still of prayer, of not creating our own So we must pray, “Lord, help me
and know that I am God” (Psalm answers, is in and of itself an act to be still. Help me to resist the
46:10) should hit our hearts with a of humble, subservient worship. idolatry of technology, to stop,
thud. “Be still” means to stop We're saying, “I'm really not in listen, and learn. Help me to query
thinking, processing, figuring charge here. I'm not God. He is.” You first for answers, not
out, wondering, scheming, and Google.”
yes, googling (that's the Greek In that moment of despair, of - Daniel Darling
translation!) for answers. “Be weakness, we find God. We come www.oneplace.com