I despise technology; One, because I am forced to use it, and two because of what it’s doing to the culture. We are a nation consumed by and with technology. The mass marketeers know exactly what they’re doing when they brand these products to our children. Knowing that parents for the most part have allowed their children to believe that the world revolves around them; why not name our products after each customer? Rather than use their own name (that would be too costly), we instead will incorporate the term “I” into everything. By this we will continue to feed the ego and carry on the traditional teaching of their parents. Thus, we have the I-pod, the I-pad, and the I-phone. Seems it’s all about “I” these days, I must admit it’s a brilliant strategy and apparently a very profitable one as well.

Technology was supposed to set us free, make life easier and more efficient. We have instead become a slave of the slave. Technology is controlling us, everything from our attitude to our general disposition is now determined by whether or not we have unfettered access to these little devices that have connected us to the world. They are the new Tower of Babel.

Last night I watched as my eldest daughter had a near miss with an epic meltdown because she had lost her I-pod. Of course I reassured her that it was not lost, only misplaced. So we searched and searched, feverishly, frantically for this little rectangle shaped doo-dad that apparently has the whole worth of my daughters existence trapped inside.  I watched as her attitude slowly deteriorated into outright disrespect and rebellion, even going so far as to level false claims of thievery. Eventually we all quit looking and went to bed, only to rise again at 5:30am to start the process all over again.  Exasperated after having scoured every nook and cranny of the house for this hidden gem; I finally asked my daughter have you prayed about it? NO! she exclaimed. “Well why don’t you do that” I said. “Why should I, do you really think God cares about my I-pod”.  Ahhh, this was a statement not a question, But I answered it anyway. “No, but I know he cares about you, and every minute detail of your life, maybe if you ask for help he’ll give it to you”.  I don’t know if she ever prayed or not, but I did, it was nearing 6:30 and time for me to leave for work, if I didn’t find that I-pod the situation was only going to continue its downward spiral. I Sat down on the love seat and reached my hand down into the same crack I had searched at least a dozen times already, and what do I find, that’s right, her I-pod. The look on her face was a picture of relief, wrapped up in guilt and shame, as she quickly began to recall her baseless accusations and dishonoring attitude. I left for work, she went back to bed, and “all” again was well with her soul.

I am sure there are similar incidents as this occurring around the world at a rate that is climbing faster than our national debt. After having some time to reflect on, and process the whole ordeal, I began to think about a parable that Jesus spoke, the one about the man who had found the hidden treasure and then went and sold all of his belongings in order to buy that field so that he might possess the treasure. I thought about it in these terms: what if I knew there was a treasure hidden somewhere in a mans field, and I was given permission to search for that treasure as diligently as I wanted. How feverishly would I search that field over, in order to possess this treasure? The only requirement is that I seek the treasure. By doing so I am given the assurance that once I find it, I may possess it, and after searching so long and so hard for that treasure, what man in his right mind would then say, “you know, on second thought I don’t think I want the treasure”.  We are given the assurance in scripture that if we seek God we will find him, if we seek with all our heart, and I for one cannot think of anything of more value than the relationship I have with my Lord. It didn’t come easy though, and the truth is, I searched and searched to find him, and when I did I was ready to sell everything I had in order to possess him. He didn’t ask for that though, he simply asked for my life.

It is a wonder to think that this treasure is there for the taking and available to any who are willing to seek, It is a wonder to think that we will search harder and more diligently for all things beginning in “I” than we do for a savior. Perhaps it’s because at the moment we don’t realize we need it. There will, however, come a day when men wished they had searched as hard for him as they did their next high. Sadly it will be too late.