I am small
Hey Friends,
I hope you don’t mind me waxing a little philosophical with you on some reflections I had while spending time in the mountains.
I Am Small, And It’s Okay
The Bible often speaks of the voice of God in creation. This weekend, as I spent time in nature among the majesty of snow-capped mountains, one truth echoed in my heart: I am small and it’s okay.
I rejoice deeply in that liberating realisation.
A Culture That Fears Smallness
In a world obsessed with self-promotion, that message rarely finds a welcome home. As we enter what some call the fourth industrial revolution, smallness is the last thing we want to consider.
We strive to master 3D printing, explore new biomaterials, and push the boundaries of innovation. Yet it’s precisely the message of smallness that we need to hear, by standing in awe of creation, whether before towering mountains or endless blue seas. Only then can we stay balanced as a species and avoid being destroyed by the very technology we create.
The Gift and Purpose of Technology
Our ability to invent, to shape new ways of living, is a gift from God. It was meant to be used in partnership with Him, to unlock the potential of the world He made, to build sustainable environments for human flourishing, and to reflect the moral beauty of Jesus Christ in what we create and how we use it.
But because of our broken relationship with God, because of sin, our motivation in using technology has shifted. What was meant for loving partnership has been overtaken by pride and fear.
Pride and Fear: The Twin Engines
In pride, we tell ourselves that we can do anything through science and technology. If it can be done, we believe it should be done, no moral questions asked. We envision a future where we can solve every problem, craft our own utopia, and become creators in a metaverse of our own design. In this vision, everything exists to serve us, and we are masters of all.
Yet beneath that pride lies deep fear. We sense our frailty, our vulnerability to the elements, to one another, and ultimately, to death. Out of fear, we turn to technology for protection and control. We seek enhancement through CRISPR or AI. And in our fear-driven madness, we even chase eternal life through stored consciousness.
Yes, pride and fear are the twin engines driving much of today’s technological advance.
The Eternal Witness of Creation
Through the timeless witness of creation, the Lord gently strikes at our pride. He reminds us that we cannot create eternal mountains or bottomless blue seas. We were born into a world that already held them and they will outlast us.
We do not sustain nature; nature sustains us. We are small, dependent, and limited. Yet the One who made these powerful elements also loves and cares for us. He made them for us.
The Freedom of Being Small
In creation, the Lord quiets our fears and purges our pride. Only then are we truly ready to wield the power of technology for good.
We must remember not only our greatness seen in our creativity and innovation, but also our smallness, revealed in the vastness of creation.
I am small.
So are you.
And that’s okay.
