Omnipotent, Omnsicient, and Omnipresent or Powerless, Stupid, and Nowhere?

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“Cannot you see, cannot all you lecturers see, that it is we that are dying, and that down here the only thing that really lives is the Machine? We created the Machine, to do our will, but we cannot make it do our will now. It has robbed us of the sense of space and of the sense of touch, it has blurred every human relation and narrowed down love to a carnal act, it has paralyzed our bodies and our wills, and now it compels us to worship it. The Machine develops – but not on our lives. The Machine proceeds – but not to our goal. We only exist as the blood corpuscles that course through its arteries, and if it could work without us, it would let us die”  

-The Machine Stops E.M. Forster


I love a chilling quote, and this quote from The Machine Stops DELIVERS.  If you have not read this short story, I highly recommend it. I first heard about this story on Tsh Oxenreider's podcast: A Drink With A Friend.  Her guest was Autumn Kern, a fellow Charlotte Mason Homeschooling enthusiast.  The episode was about Autumn's recent abandonment of her smartphone for a flip phone.  Their conversation was phenomenal.  I always enjoy Tsh's podcast and how thoughtful she is at both crafting a life that represents her values and sharing it on her podcast.  


As Autumn began to share her thoughts on social media and having a mini computer in our back pockets I found myself nodding along with her.  She asked a question that just floored me, and I am going to paraphrase: "Are these things making us feel like we are God?" 

Omnipotent? At the push of a button, we can declare our beliefs, attack those we disagree with, and assemble a virtual tribe that will tell us we are right right right.  Powerful or powerless?

Omniscient? We can answer countless questions with a simple Google search. Are we full of more knowledge or are we becoming stupid? 

Omnipresent? We are ACCESSIBLE to anyone in our contact list or on our social media feeds at all times.  Are we everywhere or are we LOST? Are we even present with those humans right next to us? 


It is shocking that day after day we know these things aren't delivering what we are looking for.  Like drinking salt water and finding yourself more and more parched, yet choking down another pitcher.  WHAT ARE WE DOING?? And what will we do about it? 


How can we love with our hands and our hearts when we are too busy scrolling on a hamster wheel? How will we hear the Spirit when we never take time for quiet reflection? 


Maybe we don't all need a flip phone.  Maybe some of us do.  I for sure don't need to be spending much time on social platforms like IG or FB.  The more time I spend on them the more hopeless I feel.  The less loving I am.  Detached and disembodied, my words are not tempered with any measure of grace.  When my kids see me on platforms daily where I am ranting and raving about politics and people then I'm not teaching them to love the world, I'm actually teaching them to hate it.  And while it's true that Jesus did call out the Pharisees on occasion, in person, he actually spent the majority of his time loving people, healing people, and delivering messages of encouragement and hope.  All of these interactions were HUMAN interactions. Face to face by a God who EMBODIED himself to meet us in person.  Feet washed. Dirty bodies touched, Tears wiped. 


I don't see how we can become better humans by dehumanizing ourselves.  And so the work of embodiment in this age of virtual everything seems so daunting.  And yet while I am still in this physical body, I want to lean into this physical world God created us for, with full hope that when this body is discarded, the spiritual realm that awaits will infinitely redeem a fallen virtual platform created by man.  



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