OPINION
We can order groceries with the tap of an app, stream countless hours of distracting content, share our most recent hot-takes with millions and order home appliances to obey our every command, while watching the progress of our midnight snack be delivered by a person we have never met.
Some would suggest this futuristic world in which we live is the result of progress.
The triumph of progress: self-driving cars, computers that can speak to us and all of human knowledge in our pockets.
If we are accomplishing our dreams, then why do so many of us feel disconnected, discontent, distracted and detached?
What progress have we truly made? And, more pointedly, can all of this technological commotion truly fill the void?
Or, put another way, what is the end goal of all of this?
Is it possible to gain the world, yet lose your soul, as Jesus warned (Mark 8:36)?
History reveals an optimistic outlook that humanity held through the Enlightenment, Industrial Revolution, and post-war military and economic advancements.
We can do more than ever before, but we are not necessarily wiser, more virtuous or morally advanced.
The hard sciences, while vital, cannot answer the deepest questions of meaning, morality or the human condition.
Scientific innovation cannot cure the problems of selfishness, pride and injustice.
These issues, what the Bible calls sin, adapt and adjust to the ever-evolving world around us.
Our pride, greed and envy are not disheartened or defeated by our social, political or technological progress.
And, while technology has allowed for our human nature to be louder, it has not, and cannot, overcome, conquer or transform the deeper issues.
Every innovation is a new playground for human depravity.
Maybe we need to see progress through the lens of wisdom rather than wealth, character rather than convenience, mercy rather than might.
We need to open our eyes to the depths of the human heart that longs for more. This does not mean we throw our smart devices away; this is not a call to reject all technology and create a neo-Dark Age. Instead, we should resist the urge to lean too heavily into technological advancement, especially at the expense of our moral compass and interrelational realities.
We need a tech diet, time to step away and reengage with real people, real nature, real light. We must learn to use technology as a tool, not submit to it as its loyal subject.
When you get the urge to pull out your phone and take a gander at your news feed, try setting it aside and spending some oneon- one time with someone.
Try picking up a book, a real physical book and reading.
The classics are full of timeless wisdom for restless souls.
The Bible, a personal favorite, is full of ancient wisdom that people of all times and ages have found to be transformative.
We need not be consistently bathed in blue lights.
We should invest more in developing our hearts, souls and minds.
If progress is to mean anything, then it must include the moral virtues, wisdom and selfless service to one another.
True progress is not measured by how quickly you can get a Big Mac to your house, the brand of your car or the size of your stock portfolio.
It’s not about how fast we can go, but where we are going.
Real advancement is being more emotionally engaged, not more automated, more loving, not merely efficient.
The practical part of life is not unimportant, but it is also not the most important.
We have built taller towers than humanity could ever have imagined; now it’s time to begin growing deeper roots.
Steve Stanley is a Providence Village resident with a doctorate in ministerial leadership. He can be reached at stevestanleyacoustic@ gmail.com.
