Dehumanization: The Cost of Progress (part 3)

(See part 2 here: http://nitasbookclub.blogspot.com/2012/09/dehumanization-cost-of-progress-part-2.html)

In this post I will touch on the implications of technology's dehumanization of society for the collective people of God. In the previous post I recommended a video talk by Shane Hipps about this; I also want to highly recommend his recent book, Flickering Pixels, which is quite an eye-opener concerning how technology has and continues to shape us and why western evangelicals got to the place where the version of the Gospel we present is very linear, efficient and individualistic. (Some of what Hipps writes about is similar to Jacques Ellul's work but in simpler and more contemporary language.)

I believe that for the people of God collectively to be a prophetic voice in our day, there is great need for leadership that understands the times we live in and who will courageously face the fact that we as a people have been affected by what Ellul and others write concerning our obsession with progress and production and who will call God's people to a higher place, a life of faith and love.

In our drivenness to erect highly organized systems for just about everything we do thinking this will make us productive, are we unwittingly engaging in what Ellul says is "a busy, pointless, and, in the end, suicidal submission  to technique"? Are we like the man who was digging a hole in order to fill another hole? Are we trying to bring the light of the kingdom of God to the problems of our age by using the world's methods? Have we fallen for the idea that anything of value must be measurable or quantifiable and therefore requires setting up technologies ("standardized means for attaining a predetermined result")?

In the foreword of his book, The Technological Society, Ellul says that humanity is headed towards a certain dire destiny if we continue to uncritically adapt to every new advancement. However, he then suggests that there are three possible things that could happen to alter the course of history; they are:
1)  A general war of such enormous destruction that a technological society would no longer exist.
2)  An increasing number of people becoming aware of the threat of the technological society and determining to assert their freedom by "swimming upstream" so to speak.
3)  God's intervention. 

And so, as it relates to us as a people, I believe we could take the small steps I mention in part 2 but do them with someone else:
1.  Help awaken one another by dialoging about these realities and/or reading material together about this with a few friends.
2.  Help one another develop a healthy suspicion of all that technology promises and offers in order keep alert; and help one another to walk away from our technological devices from time to time as a prophetic act.
3.  Grow together with others in the Lord Jesus, learning to abide/depend on Him together.

Perhaps above all, we can pray (both privately and collectively) that God would raise up more and more prophetic voices to lead His people and that His kingdom would come on earth, that He would intervene and save humanity from self-destruction. Come, Lord Jesus...