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While I grew out of my nerd fight phase, I never outgrew my love for technology. For years, I did my best to stay on the bleeding edge of whatever new platform or device was being introduced. From the Kaypro II (one of the earliest “portable” computers) to Apple’s first personal digital assistant (PDA), the Newton, I was all in. In addition to being an early adopter, I was always interested in the reasoning that went into the design of these devices—why things were designed the way they were. How do you create a gadget that meets the needs of a person you never met? What is it that makes people get attached to certain products?

When I first began searching for answers to these questions, I would never have guessed that digital technology would become so mainstream. The most surprising aspect of this popularity is the level of attachment that everyday people have toward these devices. Everyone it seems—teens, parents, business owners, rich and poor, young and old—all rely on technology. What used to be just a hobby for nerds is now an integral part of our culture. In the span of less than twenty years, we’ve gone from “email is for geeks and pedophiles” (a quote from the 1999 movie Cruel Intentions) to the point where not having a Facebook or Twitter account is akin to social suicide in many circles. What was once niche is now de rigueur. Even those of us who aren’t excited by technology know that they need to be engaged with it. Everyone from presidents and popes to pop divas, movie stars, and even terrorist groups have Twitter and Facebook accounts.

In this book we will explore why our smartphones and computers, social media, and the Internet have become so indispensible to so many of us so quickly. Many people hold these devices very close—both figuratively and literally. They aren’t the only ones. Today’s corporations and governments rely on technology to collect data—about their operations or the people they serve—on large scale. The data they collect, which is analyzed by sophisticated algorithms, is used for everything from improved efficiency to covert surveillance. The involvement of these large organizations means technology touches all of us. Whether you’re wearing the latest smart watch, or still using a flip phone, we all have a close relationship with technology.

As any newlywed can tell you, when you enter a close relationship with someone new, the other people in your life must adjust. This can be a simple, enjoyable process if everyone gets along. Or it can be a stressful, daunting source of conflict. Some people don’t see where they fit. Priorities are reconsidered. There’s a reshuffling of the pecking order.

Technology is our new “close relationship.” As such, we are all struggling to better understand its purpose and how it should fit into our lives. Its presence means a reshuffling of our other relationships, in all areas of our lives. The goal of this book is to determine how this close relationship with technology affects the relationship we have with God.

While the answer likely sits somewhere in between these two extremes, the only way we can positively influence the result is by thinking about what we do today. What I hope to do with this book is identify some of the issues that spring from our current relationship with technology and attempt to address them through the power contained in God’s Word. While you might disagree with my conclusions, or even with the validity of God and His Word, I hope you’ll consider some of the issues (and possible solutions) that surface in these pages.

I VIVIDLY REMEMBER the first time I got lost in a public place. I was about five or six years old. My family had gone to an open-air fruit market not far from our home. As soon as we pulled into the parking lot and got out of the car, I immediately went into sensory overload. The place was full of people. The hot summer air was filled with the scent of fresh produce. But most of all, I was mesmerized by the colorful array of fruits and vegetables that seemed to go on forever.

Now, it’s important to understand that I was a boy with a healthy appetite (my clothes always came from the “Husky” section of the boys’ department). Understanding the size of my appetite, my parents did their best to channel me toward fruits and vegetables instead of junk food. Because of that, there was always plenty of fruit around the house for me to snack on. As a result, when we arrived at the open-air market, my mind went racing.

As I ran from booth to booth, sampling new fruits and marveling at things I had never seen before, I became separated from my parents. When I realized I was lost, I spent the next ten minutes doing what any sensible child would do in this situation. I started screaming my head off! My parents didn’t hear my cries, but an older woman who heard me figured out I was lost and helped me eventually find the rest of my family.

Now, as I once again watch hundreds of people line up in front of their local Apple Store to buy the latest iPhone, I get a sense of déjà vu. I can’t help but think that just as those fruits and vegetables grabbed hold of the mind of a chubby five-year-old, the assortment of gadgets, social networks, and services that we call “technology” have taken firm hold of our collective attention. New technology is no longer just nerd culture, it is popular culture—and we can’t get enough.

More than any other social or political force of the past fifty years, the advance of digital technology (which includes the invention of the transistor, integrated circuit, and microprocessor) has been the most consistent force for change. No other movement has had such a direct impact on how so many individuals live day to day. Fundamental aspects of culture, such as how we work, how we learn, how we have fun, how we meet and fall in love, and how we communicate, have all been profoundly changed by digital technology.

Despite the fact that it is everywhere and we all recognize it when we see it, people’s idea of what is meant by the word “technology” varies wildly. So it is important to explain what I mean when using the term. Technology can be used to describe everything from electric cars to a new web analytics platform to the latest smartphone available at Best Buy. But since we are talking about technology and the individual, it makes sense to define technology in a way that is consistent with how most people encounter it. For the purposes of this book, the word “technology” will be used to refer to personal technology, including:

Using this basic definition, few can deny that technology has changed the lives of millions. We can now have transcontinental conversations, write brief notes or novels, take snapshots, and create feature-length films all on a single pocket-size device. With the advent of the Internet, millions of people have access to more knowledge and data than has ever been amassed at any point in human history. As of 2010, there was a total of 1.2 zettabytes of data online. To put that in perspective, if you were to digitally store every word that has ever been spoken, it would make up only 42 percent of all the data available online.¹ And with the aid of technology, we have simply been able to get more stuff done. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the percent growth in productivity during the first decade of the twenty-first century (2000-2009) outpaced the same measure during the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s combined. It is almost universally agreed among economists that this spike in productivity is due to the proliferation of information technology.² The way we buy everything from music to airline tickets to cars and homes has also changed, thanks to the Internet. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, ecommerce has grown from $27.5 billion in 2000 to $143.4 billion in 2009—a five-fold increase.³ Even when it comes to something as intimate and personal as choosing a mate, technology has become a major player. According to a 2013 University of Chicago study, 35 percent of U.S. couples who married between 2005 and 2012 met online through dating services such as Match.com and eHarmony.com.⁴

With all of these benefits, there’s little question as to why society as a whole has embraced the use of technology in nearly every aspect of life. In fact, I don’t think it would be an overstatement to say that, beyond simply embracing it, many of us are infatuated with technology. This infatuation has been driven, in part, by the speed at which technology has been able to do more things for us. This increase in technology’s utility is a result of an exponential growth in computer processing power, as described by Moore’s Law. In 1965, Gordon E. Moore, a cofounder of Intel Corporation, first made the observation that the number of transistors on integrated circuits (and in turn, the amount of computer processing power) doubles approximately every two years. Advanced computer processors (hardware) are capable of running computer instructions (software) faster. This advanced hardware allows programmers to write more complex software. As software becomes more complex, more advanced hardware is needed. The end result is technology— in the form of more powerful computers and devices—that is capable of doing more in almost every part of our lives. Moore’s Law has been the driving force behind the virtuous cycle between hardware and software development. The cycle has been ongoing for the past fifty years. Each new device grants us functionality that a few months ago we didn’t know of but, today, can’t live without.

Devices that now seem like core parts of a person’s being did not even exist less than a decade ago. The iPhone, which many consider the first modern smartphone, is a scant eight years old. Its most recent incarnations, the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, sold a total of 10 million units in its first weekend of availability a record for Apple.⁵ In fact, Apple sold so many iPhone 6 and 6 Plus phones at its introduction that it resulted in the largest quarterly earnings of any corporation in history.⁶ When the iPhone was first released, it took three months for Apple to sell 1.12 million units.⁷ The growth of the smartphone segment has taken off so quickly that MIT Technology Review recently published an article that posed the question, “Are Smartphones Spreading Faster Than Any Technology in Human History?”⁸

This rapid expansion of technology into our lives over such a short period of time isn’t limited to smartphones. Google’s Gmail, a web email service that has 425 million users who rely on it to communicate with the world every day, has only been available to the general public since 2007.⁹ Facebook, the social media service that “helps you connect and share with the people in your life,” crossed the 1-billion-user mark after only eight years. The digital tablet, a category popularized by Apple’s iPad, reached 10 percent penetration in the U.S. market within a scant three years. For the sake of comparison, it took the television and the mobile phone both more than a decade to accomplish the same feat.¹⁰ In short, it is clear that technology has introduced profound changes in our day-to-day lives in an astonishingly short period of time.

Pervasive technologies such as mobile communications (cell phones), electronic messaging (email, texting, IM), and the Internet are so widespread that many of us find ourselves at a loss if they are suddenly taken from us. Not too long ago, I was driving to a conference with a friend in his mid-twenties. We were discussing the prevalence of smartphones and GPS devices and our reliance on them to get to new places. My friend asked me, “Wow, how did people get around without GPS?” My response was limited to a faint chuckle, due to the fact that I took his question as rhetorical.

At that point, I began to explain the process of getting a “TripTik” map from the American Automobile Association, which is something some people used to do prior to taking a road trip. As I described the act of going to a (brick and mortar) AAA office to pick up a booklet of pre-highlighted road maps, my friend’s face went blank. It was as if I were trying to explain nuclear fission. It became clear to me that my twenty-something friend had difficulty conceiving of a non-Internet or non-GPS means of navigating the world. In my friend’s defense, the amount of change that technology has introduced into our lives, and the rate at which new technology continues to change, can’t help but disorient us. Widely used means of communicating and self-expression become dated in a matter of months. MySpace, which launched in 2003, was arguably the first popular social networking site. It was quickly overtaken by Facebook, which, after starting as a Harvard student-only site in early 2004, opened its doors to everyone in 2007. While Facebook is still currently the largest social networking site, with over a billion members, it is now being forsaken by many users for alternative services such as Instagram and Tumblr.

This treadmill of change can leave many of us constantly feeling two steps behind. The large-scale change we experience as a result of technology can at times be exhilarating, but is more often confusing and disorienting. In his book Present Shock, media analyst Douglas Rushkoff explores the unease brought about by the increasing rate of technology-driven change. In his preface, Rushkoff observes, “Add real-time technologies from the iPhone to Twitter; a disposable consumer economy where 1 -Click ordering is more important than the actual product being purchased; a multitasking brain actually incapable of storage or sustained argument; and an economy based on spending what one may or may not earn in a lifetime, and you can’t help but become temporally disoriented.”¹¹ Our excitement about new technology is only matched by our inability to adjust to the constant, rapid-fire change that is associated with it.

While it may be my own personal form of post-traumatic stress talking, I can’t help but think I’ve been in this situation before. Just as with the chubby kid excitedly wandering about the outdoor fruit market, the excitement and wonder we collectively feel as a result of technology may have gotten the better of us. We eagerly adopt new apps, services, and devices, hoping that they will fulfill our needs and desires. With each new technology, our hopes run wild with thoughts of some new pleasure or capability. We race back and forth, aisle after aisle, sampling as we go. Most of us sheepishly admit that we don’t understand how these new, complex technologies work, but because we have a vague understanding of their potential benefit, we readily adopt them into our lives.

While many of us eagerly adopt new technology for its potential benefits, there are others who aren’t chasing the future, but who simply want to keep up with the crowd—those people who are afraid of being left behind. In their view, not using the latest messaging platform or not being active on the most popular social media platform creates a social stigma. No one wants to be the only person who doesn’t know what Snapchat is or what an Oculus Rift does. Additionally, if all of your family or friends are communicating on platforms like Instagram or Google Plus and you aren’t, then you run the risk of simply being left out of the conversation. For these people, the quest for the latest device or service is not about the technology itself. It’s about satisfying one of the most basic human needs—the need to belong.

Not to be a downer here, but as someone who’s been in a similar situation before, I would like to raise the following question: Is it possible that in our haste to adopt the latest technology, we may be losing track of some other factors that are equally if not more important? A strong case could be made that we are not adequately considering the implications and potential impact of our choices when it comes to how we (individually and collectively) are using technology. For example:

So, if this is indeed the circumstance we find ourselves in, what can be done? And what, if anything, does the fact that society is enamored with technology have to do with the Christian Church? The answer to this question can be found in Matthew 5:13: “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.”

In this part of the Gospel (Matthew 5:1-12, better known as the Beatitudes), Jesus speaks to his followers shortly after discussing what it means to live a contented life. One of the standout aspects of Jesus’ definition of a fulfilled life is that it is so different from what most of us consider to be the reason for existence. Many people base their idea of a well-lived life on such things as material comfort, personal or professional accolades, and wide-ranging power and influence. These things offer us personal fulfillment and satisfy our sensual or emotional needs. In contrast, Jesus’ definition of a well-lived life, which is focused on serving others and self-denial, sounds more like suffering:

Blessed are the poor in spirit,

for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are those who mourn,

for they will be comforted.

Blessed are the meek,

for they will inherit the earth.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for
righteousness,

for they will be filled.

Blessed are the merciful,

for they will be shown mercy.

Blessed are the pure in heart,

for they will see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers,

for they will be called children of God.

Blessed are those who are persecuted because of
righteousness,

for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Another way to view the term “Blessed are . . .” is “Happy are those who. . . .” The Beatitudes were meant to lay out how Christians are supposed to live their lives. They spell out the things that are important to God and the things that should be important to Christians, as His followers. The very act of worshiping God can be reflected in the subordination of our personal desires to the priorities of God. Christians are called to be poor in spirit, which means being dependent on God and not our own ability. We are called to meekness, which means we must understand our need for God’s forgiveness. Christians are called to seek righteousness, which is a longing to see God’s Will done on Earth. We must show mercy, which is a willingness to forgive. These goals are different from what the rest of the world pursues, where egocentric characteristics, such as self-reliance and pride, are held in high regard.

Jesus explains that a fulfilled life is not achieved by pursuing power, pleasure, and the approval of those around us. A fulfilled life is attained by living each day in pursuit of those things that please God. Jesus also points out that these things, such as humility, mercy, and pursuing justice and righteousness, will not necessarily gain you status on earth (in fact, it will likely earn you enemies), but it will gain you rewards in heaven. In other words, what you do here on earth has eternal implications. Additionally, living a life centered on the things that please God advances His kingdom on earth. By pursuing God’s priorities, followers of Christ counter the exploitation, injustice, and abuse that takes place in our world. This pursuit results in a “fulfilled lifer—for both the people God has called us to serve and ourselves.

By accepting Jesus’ definition of a fulfilled life, followers of Christ are supposed to stand out. We are supposed to be noticeably different. The Church is supposed to act as the fly in the proverbial ointment. When most of society is cheering for whatever the newest thing is, followers of Christ must review it with a critical eye. The purpose of this is not to simply be contrary, but to measure everything’s value against God’s priorities, not humanity’s. And as a result, we should decide to use or not use something based on that metric.

How does this relate to technology? To answer that question, let’s consider this example—a world-class athlete. A professional basketball, baseball, or football player focuses his efforts on winning championships. His every activity, what he chooses to do and not to do, is oriented toward winning. Being the best is his top priority. He reflects that priority in the tools he chooses to use in the pursuit of winning. He hires the best trainers, uses the best training equipment and techniques, and eats carefully chosen foods and supplements in order to get the best nutrition. World-class athletes do this in order to make progress in pursuing their top priority—being the best.

While athletes are eager to try new things, they are also cautious in selecting new tools they use to train. They don’t want to jeopardize the progress they’ve already made by introducing something that doesn’t help them. A new technique or tool is evaluated by its ability to help them achieve their primary goal of being the best. It either helps them, is modified to help them, or is eliminated.

In the same way, we as Christians must look at the things we bring into our lives. This includes the technology we use. We should be eager to consider these new things, in the hope that they might help us in our pursuit of God’s priorities. Christians should evaluate new things based solely on their ability to help us pursue God’s priorities, not our own personal desires. If it helps us, we should enthusiastically use it and tell others about it so they too can benefit. We should also be willing and able to modify new things in order to make them more suitable to our purposes. But if that new thing (whatever it is) doesn’t help us in our pursuit of God’s priorities, we should not be afraid to remove it from our “toolbox.”

Christians are called to do this type of critical thinking as part of our spiritual journey with Jesus. This brings us back to verse 5:13: “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.”

Salt, at this time, was used to both season and preserve. It seasoned what was otherwise bland and tasteless food. More importantly, salt was also used to preserve meat for storage. Without salt, meat would decay and rot, becoming unfit for consumption. Given this dual role, salt was a valuable commodity. With this understanding of how salt was perceived at the time, Jesus’ metaphor becomes much more powerful. If those who follow Jesus’ teachings are salt, then they are valuable (even if everyone else doesn’t necessarily perceive them as such). By placing the highest value on the things that are important to God, followers of Christ can act as much-needed agents for change in the world around them. By choosing to value those things that God prioritizes, as opposed to those things valued by humanity, we act as both seasoning and preserving agent for the world. By subordinating our desires to God’s, we hold off the decay that would otherwise take place in this world. But, as Jesus points out, we can play this role only if we are actually different from the world. If we lose this “saltiness,” then we are of no real use.

To make sure we are truly prioritizing the things that are important to God, it is necessary for those of us who follow Christ to be critical of ourselves. It is our responsibility to analyze our behavior, especially when it comes to new things (including technology), to make sure that our actions reflect what we profess to be so important. It is our job to thoughtfully weigh the impact of changes in our world and speak up if they are unjust or damaging. Simply put, if something is transforming humanity, then followers of Christ are called to be there to understand it and assess its impact on the world we are called to serve. In the same way, Christians should actively identify new tools that can help in the pursuit of God’s priorities. When we find technologies that work, we should help in expanding their use, as well as directly engage in their growth and development. Either way, believers in Christ can’t fulfill our role as “the salt of the earth” if we are not in the mix.

As I mentioned earlier, most would agree that technology has been, and continues to be, one of the largest catalysts for change in the world. From transforming how we entertain ourselves to influencing who we elect to lead us, technology continues to impact every aspect of our lives. Since technology is such a large force for change in our world, Christians must be involved in its evolution. As individuals, Christians must seek to use technology in a way that advances the cause of Christ, since His priorities should be ours. As a body, the Church must work to understand technology, in both the abstract and the concrete sense, in order to determine its effects on humanity. This engagement should include a sound understanding of how technology is designed, created, and used in the world. This must be an ongoing effort. As technology continues to change, the Church’s understanding of technology must also grow and develop.

To fulfill our role, Christians cannot view technology as the rest of the world does. Most of us look forward to new technology with all the eagerness and excitement of a child waiting for fresh-baked cookies to emerge from the oven. We obsess over them before they arrive, wait in line for them, and then devour them as soon as they are available. Within moments, our new devices seem indispensable to us. We can’t imagine living without them—until the next model is introduced. While the abilities and conveniences these new tools provide are truly transformative and jaw-dropping, we must get past this first impression. Followers of Christ can’t act as “salt” if we simply accept everything technology has to offer at face value.

We can act as “the salt of the earth” only if we shake off the luster and positive halo associated with every newly introduced bit of technology. We must soberly evaluate each new tool, considering its positives and negatives when measured against the yardstick that is the Word of God. The following chapters will attempt to accomplish this task. In the rest of Part 1, we will explore our current relationship with technology. In Part 2, we will explore how the design of our digital tools communicates and reinforces ideas that shape our thinking. We will also discuss how those ideas align with the things God prioritizes. In Part 3, I will suggest some potential ideas for transforming our relationship with technology, as well as highlighting some of the key challenges that any new relationship with technology must address.