Last week my internet connection went out. And I discovered how accustom I’ve become to the incredible connectivity that the web has created.
When Tolkien wrote The Lord of the Rings, among the many themes interwoven in these classic books was this: a warning about the possible dangers of technology. (As Treebeard observes about Saruman, “…now he has a mind of metal and wheels. He no longer has a mind for growing things,” from The Two Towers.) Tolkien saw a basic tension between technology and relationship. And he was right—there is tension there.
The thing about technology is that it’s just like so many other things—money, power, education, beauty, even freedom. It can be either an incredible blessing or an indescribable curse depending entirely on what those with access do with it. Technology is not inherently evil, but neither is it inherently good. Like some creature from a sci-fi movie, it morphs taking on the characteristics (the character) of the person wielding it. In the hands of a well-balanced, good person, technology will inevitably be used for good. In the hands of a selfish, proud, greedy, immoral person, it will be used in unfortunate ways.
I believe the best thing we can hope for in this world is relationship. I would go so far as to say that I believe relationship is the meaning of life, the reason we’re here. When technology furthers relationship, I think it’s good. Emails with an old friend. Sharing family photos over the net. The beautiful network of shared thought represented by the blog-sphere. But technology can just as easily divide us.
In America, greed, envy, a false sense of need, the myth of entitlement, pride, lust, and a variety of other forms of immorality create a myriad of methods for abusing technology. It all comes down to character. What you are in your heart, what you are when no one is watching, that’s what you really are. And that’s how you’ll use the things in your life. If you are good deep down inside, good will flow from you. You will use what you have in good ways—whether that’s your bank account or cell phone, skill set or internet connection. If your character is spoiled, any fruit you produce will be spoiled as well.
