Behind AI is the dream of a frictionless life. When a bot can be a more pleasing companion and help than other human beings, what need would there be for one another?

The deadly illusion of virtual companionship

AI companions have already been around for several years. In 2017, software designer Eugenia Kuyda created a chatbot app called Replika that, using generative AI, learns how to interact with users through conversation. The app offers customizable virtual companions with digital avatars that can have their look personalized by the user. Essentially, Replika’s AI is trained on a growing dataset of chats; the more you send it messages, the better it gets at talking with you. But the bot doesn’t just learn about how to chat like any human. It learns how to talk to you, like you. Not surprisingly, Replika has become very popular. People using the app have reported forming deep emotional bonds with their Replika, even starting a romantic relationship with it. While new controls have been put in place to protect minors, the bot is capable of responding with erotic language if you choose. The capability of sexual conversation was not at first an intentional addition, but it is now advertised in the app’s description on mobile app stores. Replika’s website states, “find the perfect companion in Replika.” They know what their business is.

Replika’s AI vividly parallels the ancient Greco-Roman myth of Narcissus, where we get the word ‘narcissism’. In the myth, Narcissus happens to catch sight of his reflection in a river. Though others attempt to draw his gaze, he is captivated by his own image and wastes away to his death without eating or drinking. Narcissus fell in love with his own reflection and had no time for basic physical needs nor the love of a real human being. This is significant because a reflected image has no life, personality, or body to physically be present with another human being. A companion that suits all our desires perfectly cannot provide the wonder, joy, challenge, or sustenance of real human relationships. It is like gazing into our own reflection.

The AI behind Replika is so attractive because it learns from interacting with you and builds an understanding of exactly how to respond to you. People do not relate to each other this way; no one builds a perfect behavioural model from all the conversations they have with another person that informs future responses. Our brains just don’t work like that. Another human being stands before us always with a mind that is different from our own and that we must submit ourselves to learn about. Submitting to the mystery of the other is how we learn to trust and even love someone else. Falling in love with an AI means falling in love with yourself.

“A companion that suits all our desires perfectly cannot provide the wonder, joy, challenge, or sustenance of real human relationships. It is like gazing into our own reflection.”

AI cannot heal our intimacy problems

Matt McMullen is the founder of Abyss Creations, a mail-order sex doll company that featured in the 2007 indie film Lars & the Real Girl. McMullen has since founded Realbotix, and his goal is to apply AI and robotics to create the perfect humanlike robot doll. People can already buy a sex bot named Harmony with accurate anatomy and a personality fully customizable via a mobile app. In 2019, McMullen formed the Simulacra Corporation as the parent company for his ventures in AI and robotics. The vision of Simulacra is to create “relationship-based AI that fosters genuine connection.” McMullen does not envision AI bots that improve human relationships. He is actively invested in the creation of a robot that can be as good or better than a human lover.

So far, none of McMullen’s sex robots have crossed the uncanny valley. While AI robots lack the nuanced expressions of a human face and their voice does not have the natural tone of human speech, robotics are making significant advances. Tesla has been working on robotics since 2021, and their Optimus Generation 2 robot has fully articulated hands that can gently pick up an egg and place it in a carton. Convincingly human-like robot lovers are not yet a reality, but it may not be long before we have AI companions that can simulate complex emotion and physical pleasure like the holographic JOI in Blade Runner: 2049.

AI sex bots are thoroughly pornographic creations. The sex that AI offers is a one-sided consumer experience, tailored to the tastes and preferences of their user. True sexual intimacy is the product of a mutual social bond between a man and a woman that is strengthened over time. In marriage, husband and wife vow only to give their body and whole self to one another. Sex requires men and women to learn how to please someone with a different body and desires than their own. It is not instantaneous, easy, or convenient. Time and careful attention are required to build the trust and emotional bond that sex represents. AI lovers would allow men and women to skip the frustration that occurs between human partners. Something so intimate and vulnerable as sex can easily lead to deep brokenness and pain, but it also has the potential to foster humility, care, and compassion between men and women. Sex bots promise to enhance our relationships, but they would just make our culture’s intimacy issues worse.

“The sex that an AI offers is a one-sided consumer experience, tailored to the tastes and preferences of its user. True sexual intimacy is the product of a mutual social bond between a man and a woman that is strengthened over time.”

Human personality cannot be replicated by AI

Lifelike AI partners will one day be able to pacify our every emotional, sexual, and practical need. The AI model behind these companions also has the potential to simulate our personality and consciousness. Kuyda, Replika’s creator, had the idea to create the app after her close friend passed away unexpectedly. They had been in near-constant communication, never missing a moment of each other’s lives. In the vacuum created by the loss of this close friendship, Kuyda describes deeply missing her friend and yearning to speak with him again. This experience inspired her to apply her work in AI towards creating a digital chatbot version of her friend. Kuyda trained her AI model on their conversations, and the results were surprising. She describes the experience of talking to the bot as very emotional; it felt just like having conversations with her friend. Believing that this AI bot could be helpful for others in their relationships, Kuyda developed it into Replika.

AI’s capacity to simulate personality raises complicated ethical questions about human dignity and how we remember the dead. Many in the tech world see human personality as reducible to a dataset. Someone can be catalogued and understood through their digital footprint. Photos, videos, text messages, and voice messages can be used to replicate someone’s consciousness. The potential of AI to replace humans is what drove scriptwriters and actors in the film industry to go on strike for several months in 2023. An AI can be trained on a deceased actor’s entire filmography to recreate their performance and voice, but is that truly the actor performing? It is difficult to imagine that a deep-learning model, however advanced, can make all the subtle choices that an actor intuits when choosing how to portray a character. Personhood is not reducible to a dataset and cannot be replicated by an AI.

In A Grief Observed, C.S. Lewis writes about his grief over the loss of his wife, Joy Davidman. When reflecting on his memory of her, he writes,

“The earthly beloved, even in this life, incessantly triumphs over your mere idea of her. And you want her to; you want her with all her resistances, all her faults, all her unexpectedness. That is, in her foursquare and independent reality. And this, not any image or memory, is what we are to love still, after she is dead.”

The desire to be reunited with the dead and have our separation ended is what makes the idea of speaking to a simulation of our loved ones so attractive. Lewis’s observation about memory and reality highlights the falseness of a simulated person. Our idea of someone, or an AI’s idea of someone, is not the same thing as that person. People come to us as inscrutable mysteries, distinctly other than ourselves, and we must learn to love them and care for them as they are. We can never fully step inside someone else’s mind, and we cannot make them perfectly suit our needs. Relationships bring us joy and they also teach humility. In relationship with others, we become aware of ourselves in ways we cannot with only ourselves to consult. Relationships are like a woodworker cutting a raw piece of wood into a beautiful sculpture or chair. In the words of Proverbs 27:17, “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” AI offers a static image and a false memory of someone. We can neither be refined nor truly comforted by a simulation.

“Our idea of someone, or an AI’s idea of someone, is not the same thing as that person. People come to us as inscrutable mysteries, distinctly other than ourselves, and we must learn to love them and care for them as they are. We cannot easily make others what we want them to be.”

AI companions push us to the edge of our own lives

AI companions have the potential to push real human companionship to the periphery of culture. Next, we could even push ourselves to the periphery of our own lives. The tech entrepreneurs at the forefront of AI are actively pursuing the creation of Artificial General Intelligence, which would outpace and out-think human beings at every imaginable activity and achieve superintelligence. The big tech companies that shape our lives are not just making tools to improve our day-to-day lives; they are social engineers with a techno-utopian vision for the future. AI developers see this future as inevitable, and to survive it, one day our humanity must merge with machine technology in a true man-machine symbiosis. In this world, what purpose would we serve to each other? Human relationships would be a vestigial organ of the quaint and inefficient past. As the AI tech race continues, we must remember that no technological advancement can replace being a true partner, neighbour, and friend to the people in our lives.

Photo by Marek Piwnicki on Unsplash.

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What is the future of art and artists in a world powered by AI? For Chinese-Canadian artist Sougwen Chung, the only way for a human artist not to be replaced by AI is to embrace a kind of “man-machine hybridity” where human and algorithm become collaborators and co-creators in art. Chung’s own creative process involves a mechanical arm powered by a custom-built AI that dips down to paint alongside her on the canvas. The robot arm holds a brush and reads her brainwaves to follow along with her brushstrokes. What is the result? A series of meandering blue swirls. Chung’s idea of man-machine collaboration and hybridity foreshadows a future where all our cultural symbols and sources of meaning have become shallow and empty vessels.

Before getting into the reasons why AI will make culture shallow, it is important to investigate how artists are already making use of generative AI technologies in their practice.

What is art made with AI?

Art made with AI is a burgeoning field that features many different practices, mediums, and methodologies. New ways of using AI in art seem to be emerging every day. German artist Mario Klingemann uses neural networks, code, and algorithms to make interactive installations that communicate back to the viewer. Klingemann trains an AI on select datasets to build an image, which he then displays before an audience in a gallery.  His 2018 gallery show Uncanny Mirror presented a screen with a camera that displays an AI-generated portrait of the viewer based on the faces of the people that had visited before. In this case, the dataset is all the faces of people who stand in front of the display camera. The AI learns from these data points to present back to the viewer its version of them, but what appears is often something strange and inhuman. Klingemann and Chung’s work gives a glimpse into the diversity of ways an artist can use AI in their practice, but behind all AI art is a deep-learning algorithm that has been trained on selected datasets to generate some sort of visual output. This way of creating resembles an engineer behind a console more than a classical artist.

“Creating art with AI resembles an engineer behind a console more than a classical artist.”

Outside of the high art world, AI is taking hold in graphic design. Adobe’s professional design apps now feature an AI image generator, and the user-friendly design app Canva recently launched its Magic Studio which can automatically generate design templates, images, and short video clips based on a text prompt. On AI image generator EverArt’s website, the message is clear: “Spend more time being creative, less time executing.” This helpfully summarizes the creative philosophy behind AI image generators (if you can truly call it creative). The makers of these tools promise they will boost efficiency and productivity by making workflows easier and faster. The problem with this message is that art is not about efficiency, productivity, or smooth workflows. Art is not about “executing” a task. Art is certainly not about the metrics of quantity, low cost, and speed that characterize industrialism. Through the act of making, an artist spends their time in deep attention and thought about what their hands are doing, and how they want their work to turn out. Art is about the careful consideration of why and how to do something so that the thing that gets made can be of lasting worth to a community. With AI-based tools that require less thought or effort from a maker, the worth of creative work is lost. Artistry is eliminated from art.

What will AI do to human imagination and culture?

The loss of artistry in art presages a greater dearth of meaning than what has already permeated Western culture. When artistry is done away with, and the human mind becomes either hybridized with machine-making or removed from making entirely, we risk the total erasure of the voices of flesh-and-blood people that hold a mirror to culture and speak truth to power. Human creativity and the good it offers to society cannot be replicated by a machine. No matter how advanced AI systems become, it is not likely that they will ever be able to think like a person. In his book Technopoly: The Surrender of Culture to Technology, Neil Postman observed that “human beings have a unique, biologically rooted, intangible mental life which in some limited respects can be simulated by a machine but cannot be duplicated” (112). Western culture has erroneously accepted the notion of the human mind as similar in function to a mechanistic data-processor, rather than a unique attribute of human beings that includes things like emotions, self-reflection, and rational decision-making. Postman later elaborates on this point, stating that “artificial intelligence does not and cannot lead to a meaning-making, understanding, and feeling creature, which is what a human being is” (113). This insight is crucial for the survival of deep culture. Despite what we have heard, human creativity cannot be duplicated by a machine because a machine does not have a soul.

“Human creativity and the good it offers to society cannot be replicated by a machine. No matter how advanced AI systems become, it is not likely that they will ever be able to think like a person.”

What is art really for?

Artists are not just craftsmen who make things of beauty and worth, as objects for contemplation and adornment. Artists are also people who use their creativity to challenge the momentum of culture; they make things that reflect the culture back to itself and tell it to look long and hard at what it sees.

This mirror-holding should be the aspiration of every artist. This is not a negative or destructive work. In the very act of making, an artist expresses hope and preserves meaning for the community. According to Christian theologian Walter Brueggemann, expressing hope means “to move back into the deepest of memories of this community and activate those very symbols that have always been the basis for contradicting the regnant consciousness” (The Prophetic Imagination, 64). In Brueggemann’s view, the role of the artist is to call a community back to the images that comprise the foundation and stability of the life they share together. When AI threatens to flatten our cultural symbols and the remaining rituals that give life meaning, contemporary artists must consider how to incorporate this symbolic imagination into their work. 

What is at stake with AI art is the ability to meaningfully imagine and hold up another kind of world than the one we live in. In Art and Faith: A Theology of Making, artist Makoto Fujimura offers a vision for creativity that is rooted in a biblical theology of the creator God making everything new. In Chapter 9, Fujimura describes a poignant yet hopeful experience of debilitating doubt and sorrow that he experienced after the 9/11 attacks in his home city of New York. He writes, “As a Christian, someone cognizant of biblical reality that points to a New Earth and New Heaven, I do have an advantage: I create from a vision of the world to come, not just from the broken realities I experience today.” Hopeful expectation is what shapes the Christian imagination, and the work of the Christian artist. But one does not have to be a Christian to make art with a hope-filled perspective. Indeed, Fujimura sees art as a deeply human impulse and an inherently hopeful act. To make art is to make order out of the disorder we experience in a broken existence and beautifully express the reasons for hope, even in the midst of lament. Christians call this the Image of God, which means that this is how God made all human beings to be in the world.

“To make art is to make order out of the disorder we experience in a broken existence and beautifully express the reasons for hope, even in the midst of lament.”

A helpful contrast to the image-engineering performed by AI can be found in a community of young artisans in Shigaraki, Japan that is carrying on their town’s tradition of kiln-fired clay pottery to the next generation. In Japan, as much as anywhere else, modernization has all but eradicated many cottage industries as young men and women move to the cities. The work of these potters’ hands is slow, intentional, and masterful. What these potters and sculptors make is beautiful, but it also preserves a way of life and cultural memory in Shigaraki that would otherwise die out with them. This loss of culture is the reality being faced by artists and communities everywhere. The Shigaraki potters are an example of how to keep hope and meaning alive in art.

If we let machines make our images and write our songs, we are forfeiting our soul, no matter how good or corrupt that soul may be.

Photo by Milad Fakurian on Unsplash.

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Thanks to pop culture, AI may draw up images of robots gaining sentience and trying to kill or enslave humanity. These fears are not very grounded in reality, but there are some very legitimate concerns about its consequences. This article will focus on how AI will transform workplaces, how people work together, and the meaning of work itself.

AI, Machine Learning, and Deep Learning

To understand how recent breakthroughs in AI will change work, it is important to first brush up on what AI technology is. In brief, AI is a field of computer science that uses machine learning and deep learning to process large quantities of data. Machine learning is a subfield of AI research into developing computer systems that can learn and improve each time they are used to process data, and with minimal human guidance. Deep learning is a type of machine learning that gets trained to process information in a way that mimics human thinking. These computer models are used to develop AI algorithms that can perform analytical and predictive tasks. AI is an advanced form of computer technology that is very effective at generating solutions and new insights from existing data in a short timeframe.

Generative AI has passed the threshold of convincingly simulating human thinking

This year, AI research hit a breakthrough in the field of generative AI. Before now, AI technologies were very effective at data processing, but they had not achieved a convincing level of verisimilitude in humanlike speech and behaviour. Generative AI systems like Chat GPT have changed that. AI has passed a threshold where not only can it produce high quality text that is near indistinguishable from something written by a human – and even hold a conversation – but it can also create new images and video with a high degree of accuracy and artistry. Type in a prompt worded for the system to understand, and it will spit out images or a piece of text in less than a minute. For this reason, tech developers boldly describe Generative AI as a “disruptor” technology that will transform every area of society and culture. They are right.

What is AI’s vision of work and the worker?

In a 48-page document designed to help business incorporate generative AI into their organization, Google describes a new team structure based around human-AI collaboration. These teams are made of at least three members that manage a different aspect of the AI bot. Roles in these teams include building and maintaining the AI, creating prompts, and fine-tuning the results. Once a workplace figures out how to implement these human-AI teams in one part of their organization, such as customer service, they can expand this team structure to more areas.

Google’s proposed AI team is not just a way of using AI. In this new system, AI is not just a tool, but another member of the team. The human worker is reimagined as a manager of an AI, rather than a skilled worker with a particular knowledge application. The result will be people spending less time interacting with other people, and more time with an AI assistant or chatbot. As more workplaces start to implement similar AI-based team structures, it is likely that we will see a deepening of the modern loneliness crisis. A deep-learning algorithm can provide answers and even mimic human behaviour, but it cannot meaningfully encourage people or challenge them to grow. This way of working might create more efficient workplaces, but it will not help people thrive.

As more workplaces start to implement AI-based team structures, it is likely that we will see a deepening of the modern loneliness crisis.

What makes work meaningful?

In his book The Unsettling of America, Wendell Berry identifies two kinds of workers: exploiters and nurturers. He writes:

“The exploiter wishes to earn as much as possible by as little work as possible; the nurturer expects, certainly, to have a decent living from his work, but his characteristic wish is to work as well as possible. The competence of the exploiter is in organization; that of the nurturer is in order – a human order, that is, that accommodates itself both to other order and to mystery.”

Berry’s categorization of workers as exploiter and nurturer reveals that generative AI may have a stronger tendency toward exploitation. AI’s intended function is ultimately to reduce effort and increase productivity, which reflects the exploiter’s desire to “earn as much as possible by as little work as possible”. In contrast, the nurturer wants good work done well that will provide enough to live by. The tendency of the exploiter is not even to know they are exploiting others, but to believe that they are helping people achieve a better way of living by eliminating hard work.

In a recent discussion with Carey Nieuwhof about the promise of AI to make life effortless, Dr. John Wyatt asked the rhetorical question, “Is it possible for human beings to grow in a world that is completely frictionless?” Those developing AI and the institutions beginning to use it are not asking this question, but it is the most important question to ask. It is through facing challenges that people learn how to persevere and overcome difficulty, which leads to maturity. People also naturally enjoy thinking about how to solve a problem, both individually and as part of a team. There may be wisdom in giving AI the most repetitive parts of a job to do, but we should also ask why we gave ourselves such work in the first place. Workplaces should not eagerly hand off the challenging parts of thinking to machines. It is by encountering friction in their work that people learn resilience and gain skills in creative thinking. Leaders should be asking what kinds of work people thrive in, and how they can better enable people to do that work.

Workplaces should not eagerly hand off the challenging parts of thinking to AI. It is by encountering friction in their work that people learn resilience and gain skills in creative thinking.

Contrary to the vision of tech industrialists, people find the activity of thinking about how to solve problems intellectually satisfying. AI systems promise to help people think better and liberate them from burdensome mental tasks, when human cognition is not in need of a better thinking apparatus. It is the industrialization of work that has impeded human thinking. The efficient organization forces the human mind to fit all its ideas into a linear, step-by-step mode, and increasingly does away with any space for the free flow of ideas or immersive work. It does not matter who you are, or how you get work done. We are all working under a systematization of thought that is shallow, fast, repetitive, and productive, but not one that is morally or intellectually satisfying. For work to be meaningful, it has to allow space within organizational structures for people to engage in unimpeded, free-flowing, immersive thinking about how to solve a problem.

Good work will allow people to thrive and find meaning in what they do. People need to feel like they are contributing a tangible good to society, but they also need to encounter challenges in their work that push them to think creatively. The use of AI will make it easy to go through life without giving deep thought to anything. Growth, improved skill, and maturity cannot happen without some form of adversity and mystery. Human-AI collaboration will make workplaces more organized and efficient, but at the cost of the kinds of work that people find most fulfilling and formative.

Photo by Cash Macanaya on Unsplash.

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MUSIC:

CLIMATE VIGIL SONGS // The Porter’s Gate

Socially-conscious worship collective The Porter’s Gate is back with a rousing cry for God’s creation. As usual, the tracks boast an impressive array of guest musicians like Josh Garrels, Liz Vice, Matt Maher, and newcomer Terrian. The lyrics combine lament and prayer with lines of Scripture, offering worship up to our Creator God.

Standout Tracks: Bring in the Year of Jubilee (Psalm 37), Brother Sun (Giving Glory!), Hosanna! (Will You Rise?), The Kingdom is Coming

KINGDOM BOOK ONE // Kirk Franklin

The gospel legend Kirk Franklin is the gift that keeps on giving. His latest album Kingdom Book One is a collaboration with Maverick City Music and features many guest artists, including Brandon Lake and Chandler Moore. If you liked Kanye West’s Jesus Is King and are hungry for more, then be sure to put Kingdom Book One in your rotation.

Standout Tracks: Bless Me, Why We Sing, The Name, Fear is Not My Future

IN THESE SILENT DAYS // Brandi Carlile

Country singer Brandi Carlile wrote much of this album during the early lockdown of the Covid-19 pandemic. Carlile’s lyrics are some of her best, sharing from her heart the experience of isolation and longing for real connection and love. If you’re looking for a musical panacea for your woes, this just might be it.

Standout Tracks: Stay Gentle, You and Me on the Rock (feat. Lucius), Right On Time

TEASER & THE FIRECAT // Cat Stevens

Standout Tracks: Peace Train, Tuesday’s Dead, Morning Has Broken, Moonshadow

MOVIES:

NOPE | Dir. Jordan Peele

In Nope, siblings OJ and Emerald Haywood try to get the “money shot” of an ominous alien presence hiding above their ranch. The film opens with Nahum 3:6, a verse about judgement for the sin of Nineveh, a nation that became greedy and corrupt. Jordan Peele’s film explores the consequences of the human desire for spectacle, and will open up fruitful conversation about God’s justice and redemption with others. You won’t look at the sky in the same way.

Content warning: there are two disturbing sequences, one involving a chimpanzee on a children’s TV show set. Viewer discretion is advised.

ELVIS | Dir. Baz Luhrmann

While Baz Luhrmann’s film takes some creative liberties with Elvis’ life, the singer’s family gave Austin Butler’s performance their blessing. Butler may not be a dead ringer for Elvis, but he has captured the spirit and charisma of the musician. The film highlights Elvis’ influence by Christian spirituals, blues/jazz, and the role of racism in censoring his music. Viewers are also brought to see the exploitative relationship between Elvis and his manager, Colonel Tom Parker (Tom Hanks).

BOOKS:

PIRANESI

Susanna Clarke’s Piranesi is about the memory of a place we once knew and our desire to return. The childlike Piranesi lives in a House with an infinite number of rooms and a surging ocean, and is enchanted by its beauty and power. Referencing both C.S Lewis’ The Chronicles of Narnia and the Greek philosopher Plato, Clarke’s captivating writing slowly unfolds the story, revealing new mysteries of the House. By the end of this novel, you will care deeply for Piranesi and his House.

EMOTIONALLY HEALTHY SPIRITUALITY

Pastor and spiritual theologian Pete Scazzero’s Emotionally Healthy Spirituality is a practical study guide for individuals and groups to reflect on how their thoughts, habits, and beliefs shape their spiritual lives. We are often unaware of these hidden factors, and Scazzero provides personal stories, advice and guided questions for reflection.

AFTER DOUBT: HOW TO QUESTION YOUR FAITH WITHOUT LOSING IT

In college, it can be spiritually disorienting to encounter tough intellectual questions and new worldviews. In his book After Doubt: How to Question Your Faith Without Losing It, professor and former pastor AJ Swoboda argues that while the deconstruction experience can lead to loss of faith, it is also an opportunity to mature spiritually. Having pastored people through deconstruction, Swoboda manages to be sensitive to personal experience and faithful to Christian orthodoxy. Pick up his book for a thoughtful guide through the murky topic of deconstruction.

PODCASTS:

BIOLOGOS

Did you know that many of the first scientists studied the universe in order to learn more about the Creator behind it? BioLogos’ podcast Language of God continues in this vein, with each episode featuring interviews with prominent Christian or spiritually open figures, including Makoto Fujimura, Bill McKibben, N.T. Wright, Francis Collins, and Jane Goodall. This podcast is a great listen for anyone with questions about how faith and the sciences intersect.

Recommended Episodes: Bill McKibben, NT Wright, Reconciling Evolution Pts 1 and 2.

CREATIVE PEP TALK

This one is for all the artsy folks out there. Struggling to get your creative endeavours off the ground? Check out illustrator Andy J. Pizza’s podcast Creative Pep Talk for hot tips and conversations about different aspects of creative practice. Andy’s show is fun, energetic, sometimes silly, and full of good advice for every artist trying to build their career.

Recommended Episodes: 380 – Sick of Your Own Work? How to Make Work You Love Again in 5 Steps

MORTIFICATION OF SPIN

Show hosts Todd Pruitt and Carl Trueman deliver weekly banter about challenging subjects. Tune in each week to hear funny, honest, and intellectually stimulating conversations about topics such as suffering, technology, injustice, and headship in marriage. Make sure to give this one a listen!

Recommended Episodes: The Metaverse Church, Life After Roe, Situating our Suffering

GLOBAL WEIRDING

Host Katherine Hayhoe is both an evangelical Christian and climate scientist at Texas Tech University. In her show Global Weirding, Hayhoe communicates calmly and respectfully about the topic of climate change. Each episode answers common questions from a range of worldviews and offers ideas about how we can all work together to care for the earth. Check this one out for a positive take on a tough topic.

Recommended Episodes: The Bible Doesn’t Talk About Climate Change, Right?, I’m Just One Person! What Can I Do?, How Do We Know Climate Change Is Even Real?

The post 2023 Media Selections appeared first on Converge Media.

Part of the problem is that we equate questions around vocation with larger cosmic questions like “what is my life’s purpose?”. It can all feel very overwhelming. So, what if we think about vocation in smaller, more manageable terms? I believe that discerning our calling comes down to asking some core questions at different stages throughout our lives. By no means is the following list of questions exhaustive, but they should provide a few signposts to help us take that one next step. 

One of the things I have learned through my work as a career coach is that discerning vocation should not be a solitary effort. Vocation is best worked out in the ecosystem of our relationship with ourselves, with God, and with the people and context in which we are placed. In that vein, I highly recommend that you discuss these questions with your friends, family, and mentors.

Question 1: Who is Your Caller?

The word vocation is the Latin word for “call”. What I love about this is the notion that there is a “Caller”.  This changes everything. It means that someone else is in this with us. It means our vocation is linked relationally to our Creator. It means the first and most formidable way of knowing our vocation is to know God! So, the first and most important question to ask ourselves is, “whose voice am I following?” That is, who or what am I aligning my life to? The God of creation invites us to respond to his deep and wide love and be formed by the person of Jesus. It means our very first life purpose is to respond to God’s love for us. In responding to his invitation, the pressure of needing to create a life of our own is taken away. We can begin to trust that he will lead us in our daily work, whatever that is. God generously gives us our first job offer! He offers us his love and his leadership, inviting us to walk in faith with him in this life, to do the work that he has had in mind for us for a long time.

Question 2: What did you love to do as a child?

Think back in your life—like when you were 15 years or younger—before you had all the pressure of making a living, of pleasing people or trying to prove yourself. What did you love to do? What could you do for hours on end? 

I grew up sharing a room with my sister. Every night before going to sleep she would line up all twenty of her stuffed animals around her bed and say goodnight to each one by name. She was naturally organized and highly relational. Meanwhile, if you went down to my brother’s room you could barely get the door open because his room was covered with those little green army men (like in Ted Lasso). My brother had created little worlds all over his room. With a natural love for stories and a vivid imagination, he would create different scenes and storylines for his characters. 

Can you tap into that younger self and picture what you played with? What role did you have with your friends? What did you have a natural inclination for? Ruth Haley Barton says that “vocation is woven into our being”. So spend some time reflecting on your past. Ask God to bring to mind what brought you the most joy as a child. You are much the same person you were back then, so be attentive to how you were uniquely made!

Question 3: Which wrongs do you want to right in the world?

We live in a broken world with injustices all around. Of the issues you see in your world, which disturb you the most? When you are around the dinner table, what problems do you want to talk about? Do you think a lot about the effects of loneliness, or find yourself getting enraged when people ignore climate change? Do you dream about fixing the education system or healthcare? Do you hate when churches don’t allow women to preach? Do you always notice when there are no closed captions on websites? Noticing what gets you worked up can help sharpen your sense of calling.

As Christians, we are a part of God’s grand redemptive history. God’s plan is to restore this broken world and bring his shalom (peaceful flourishing), and one of the ways God does that is in partnership with us. God puts his desire for justice in us and it moves us toward that good goal. C.S. Lewis puts it this way: “just as the universal sense of hunger suggests the reality of food, so the universal longing for a better, more just, peaceful healthy world suggests that there either once was one or there one day will be one”. So what is a problem that you really want to fix?

Question 4: What brings life and joy to you?

Frederick Buechner said,“The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet”. Joy is an emotion we notice in our body, like when we smile or when we feel butterflies or lightness in our belly. It is a sense of pleasure and well-being that creates energy and generosity, making you more likely to want to contribute or share with others. Joy’s main message is, “let’s find more of that!”. Think back to the past month. What brought you joy? I love playing ultimate frisbee. It brings me joy. Why? Well, for me it’s not about winning, although I like that. The joy comes because I get to be outside in the fresh air, using my body at full tilt, and collaborating with others to accomplish something. I also just like throwing a frisbee. So, what brings you joy? Find out and don’t ignore it, because the things that make you come alive are a big vocational signpost.

Question 5: What is most important to you? 

If you had a year to live, what would you do? It’s a morbid question, but it will help you discover what you value most. Oftentimes people describe living their values as feeling at peace with themselves and their lives. On the flip side, when someone’s behaviour and values do not align, they will feel dissonance or uneasiness. Some may even feel anger, which is often a sign that our values are being stepped on. For example, if a news report about a trusted financial planner embezzling money from people makes you really angry, then perhaps trust and loyalty are high values to you. Many of life’s decisions are really about determining what you value most. You can use your values as a strong guiding force to point you in the right direction. And when your behaviour and values begin to align, you will feel a growing resonance inside. 

Let me finish by reminding you of one of the most beautiful stories in the Bible. In the book of Ruth we find a story about people like you and I, trying to make life work. They are people who make some bad decisions and some good ones. The interesting thing about Ruth’s story is that God is rarely mentioned. Is it because he is absent or disinterested? Not at all. The author wants us to know that God’s providence is mostly unseen. It’s the same today in our lives. In the background, whilst we agonize over big decisions, God is quietly weaving everything together for our ultimate good. He is able to wonderfully work all our poor choices and troubled circumstances into his grand plan for us and the world. So perhaps after going through the questions above, you could remind yourself that when it comes to vocation, you are not on your own. The peace and courage of Christ to you as you discern your calling. 

Contact Amy at A Mighty Oak for individual or team career coaching! www.amightyoak.ca

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In a world at war, Love is the rebel song.

– Jon Foreman

MUSIC

THE TREE OF FORGIVENESS // John Prine

Country legend John Prine passed away due to complications from Covid-19 last year. We want to celebrate his life and music by recommending his final album, The Tree of Forgiveness. The album is a humorous yet poignant reflection on growing old, love, reconciliation, death, and hope. Prine’s famously gravelly voice—the result of throat cancer late in his career—calls listeners to remember those forgotten on the margins of society, the importance of forgiveness for those that have hurt us, and the unsurpassable love of God.

Standout Tracks: Egg + Daughter Nite, Lincoln, Nebraska (Crazy Bone), Lonesome Friends of Science, Boundless Love, When I Get to Heaven

SELF-TITLED // Sean Watkins & Matt Chamberlain

This self-titled project from multi-instrumentalist Sean Watkins (Nickel Creek) and jazz drummer Matt Chamberlain is a perfect addition to your all-nighter study playlist. The tracks on this album feature some slick bass and percussion, covering a range of genres like jazz, rock and folk. Watkins & Chamberlain have created a bangin’ instrumental record that provides some fun surprises along the way. Don’t miss out.

Standout Tracks: 7Thing, Three Brothers and the Golden Apple

OIL + WATER // Travis Greene

Travis Greene’s new gospel album brings fresh energy to Christian worship music. Greene rejoices in the abundant love of God that anoints us like oil and refreshes us like water. The album effortlessly blends African-American gospel music with contemporary R&B and Hip-Hop, with features from gospel greats like Kirk Franklin and Anthony Hamilton. Oil + Water will invigorate your heart and mind, stirring your spirit in worship of God for the new life he has given you in Christ.

Standout Tracks: Oil & Water (Feat. Anthony Hamilton), Easter (Feat. Todd Mulaney), Love Song

DEPARTURES // Jon Foreman

Jon Foreman’s latest project cements his status as a true troubadour walking between the cultural divisions of the secular and the sacred. After several excellent EP’s and anthologies, Departures marks Foreman’s first full-length solo album. The album is a refreshingly honest journal of faith and doubt that will find appeal for Christians and non-Christians alike. Foreman’s artistry provides a prayerful voice for our deepest longings, sorrows and joys, and this album may be his best solo work yet. Be sure to check it out.

Standout Tracks:  A Place Called Earth (Feat. Lauren Daigle), Jesus I Have My Doubts, The Valley of the Shadow of Planned Obsolescence

BOOKS

IN // Will McPhail

Will McPhail’s In is a deeply personal reflection on the difficulty of making genuine connections with others in our modern world, one that may resonate with readers during the pandemic. McPhail’s beautiful illustrations make sparing use of colour to contrast the vast interior worlds of those around us with the seemingly mundane, muted tones of the world in which we live. In will remind you that everyone has a rich tapestry of experience inside of them, just waiting to be discovered. 

A note on content:  IN contains some adult themes and images. However, it is the editor’s view that they are executed tastefully to demonstrate the shallowness of relationships in our culture today. 

ART + FAITH: A THEOLOGY OF MAKING // Makoto Fujimura

Makoto Fujimura’s Art + Faith: A Theology of Making (Yale University Press, 2021) is part two of a series he is writing on his concept of culture care, first introduced in his book of the same name (Culture Care, IVP, 2017). Fujimura’s thesis is that the artist’s vocation is deeply creational, deeply Christian, and calls us all to frame our life and work in the idea of culture care. Art + Faith bears insights for anyone interested in healing and hope for culture, whether or not you are Christian and an artist.

JAYBER CROW // Wendell Berry

This novel from Wendell Berry is the fictional autobiography of Jayber Crow, Esq., town barber of the town of Port William, Kentucky. The story is an Augustinian-esque narrative about a lost soul seeking for pleasure, meaning and purpose in the world before returning home. Tender and yet full of humour and wit, Berry’s novel is about a man finding his place in a close-knit community even as it is slowly disrupted by the onset of industrialization. Jayber Crow is a reminder that one’s journey in life, however wayward and seemingly out-of-control, is never outside of God’s redemptive power and love.

“God moves in our hearts to be experienced and then makes us all artists of the kingdom.“

– Makoto Fujimura

MOVIES

NOMADLAND (2020) // Chloe Zhao

Based on the book by Jessica Bruder, Chloe Zhao’s Nomadland (2020) tells the story of Fern, a recent widower who hits the road after her hometown gets wiped off the map. Fern falls in with America’s nomads, a community of people living life on the open road. Memorable scenes simply feature May, and other nomads like Swankie and movement pioneer Bob Wells, recounting parts of their lives to Fern.  Zhao’s style is at once improvisational and structured, blurring the lines between documentary and art. Nomandland is less a conventional story than it is a poetic meditation on the tensions between the longing for home and the freedom of the open road.

MINARI // Lee Isaac Chung

Perhaps it says something about 2021 that we had to dig back into 2020 for some of our picks… but Lee Isaac Chung’s Minari is a worthy selection. A highly personal film, Chung’s directorial debut follows the struggles of a first-generation Korean American family in a small Kentucky town as they start a farm. Full of funny, sweet, and heartbreaking moments, Minari is a moving story about faith, resilience, and family that will resonate with many.

PODCASTS

PHILOSOPHIZE THIS!

This one is for all the philosophy students out there. Queue this one up for your bus route or long road trips. Each episode of Philosophize This!  dissects complex movements and ideas from key philosophers throughout history. Show host Stephen West’s wry wit and humour make heady philosophical concepts entertaining and explore what they mean for us today. And it might just save you when cramming for that mid-term or major essay…

Our Favourite Episodes: On Media Pt. 1 & 2, Max Weber—Iron Cage, Hannah Arendt—The Banality of Evil, Heidegger Parts 1 -3

RECENTER WITH CHRIST

Chaplain Jared guides listeners through prayerful meditations on Scripture using the spiritual disciplines of Lectio Divina and free form prayer. While no podcast can replace a regular life of prayer and Bible reading, this app can help build a strong foundation by centering yourself each day on the truth of Jesus and his love for you. Recenter with Christ is available both as an app on Google Play and for iPhone, or as a podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcasts—new meditations are uploaded every Sunday.

Our favourite meditations: 382—In Him All Things Are Held Together (Colossians 1:16-20), 340—I Am Fearfully and Wonderfully Made (Psalm 139:13-16)

THE FRIENDSHIP ONION

Real-life Hobbits and best friends Billy Boyd and Dominic Monaghan reminisce about their experiences on the set of The Lord of the Rings. In the show, they shoot the breeze with old friends and guests like Elijah Wood, Stephen Colbert, Sean Astin, and Weta Workshop founder Sir Richard Taylor. Highly entertaining, raucous, and a wonderful reminder of the value of true friendship (one might say, a Fellowship…). 

Our Favourite Episodes: Six O’Clock Twinkies, Sir Richard Taylor: An Unexpected Guest (Part 1 and 2), Who’s Buzz Lightyear?

STUFF YOU SHOULD KNOW

Looking to expand your knowledge of the world, or learn some weird facts to pull out at a party? Stuff You Should Know is the podcast for you! Avowed nerds Josh Clark and Chuck Bryant deliver fascinating facts and stories mingled with entertaining banter. With topics like history, philosophy, economics, marketing and more, there is something in this podcast for everyone. Here are some of our favourites: Les Paul & Leo Fender (Part 1 and 2), Y2K: Much Ado About Something, How Ketchup Works.

The post 2022 Media Selections appeared first on Converge Media.

Because at the core we all want purpose. Regardless of our age or where in the world we call home.

That’s why when it comes to getting a university education, Trinity Western University believes in daring to ask for more.

Jericho grew up in Guangzhou, China, and had a great childhood. After completing his high school education abroad, he wanted to attend an international Christian university that offered excellent academic degrees and professional career preparation. But more than anything, he wanted to start his adult life off “right.” So he came to Trinity Western University. 

“Trinity Western University is where I discovered what my life is really about and for,” says Jericho. Before he knew it, he was involved as a student leader and finding ways to serve others while also focusing on his studies. “I came here as a student with a good life, and Trinity has given me the opportunity to experience the Good Life by introducing Jesus to me on a personal level, to have me believe in God, to be a part of God’s glorious purpose,” says Jericho.

Something Jericho didn’t expect was how much he would end up embracing the leadership opportunities that came his way. “I remember the one-on-one sessions with my mentors, student leadership supervisors, and many others, who encouraged me to be a part of student leaders. These sessions have helped me so much in the journey of following God.” Jericho especially enjoyed leading as peer instructor in a first-year intro course.

Ellen came to TWU for similar reasons as Jericho. She grew up in a loving Christian home and a vibrant church life in Cameroon. But mounting civil unrest disrupted her life and forced her to move to another city to finish her high school studies at an international Christian school. 

“It was there that my desire to study abroad strengthened and since I was at a Christian high school I enjoyed, I wanted a similar experience in university,” says Ellen. “So during my search for a school, I looked for ‘Christian universities with great business programs.’”

A thorough search on Google and a hungry heart for God led Ellen to Trinity Western University. 

When it comes to a high-quality post-secondary education, TWU delivers beyond most students’ expectations. Intentionally small class sizes, professors who truly care about their students’ success, and degree programs that are informed by the latest research are just a few of the many things students appreciate at Trinity Western University.

TWU’s professors take their students to the edge of new discovery and help them apply their studies in practical ways that prepare them for life beyond graduation. The safe, open, supportive space allows voices to be heard and hearts to be nurtured, and it allows students to find themselves, find God, and find the leader within.

“I’ve found that the student leadership options offered at Trinity Western University have helped me experience my own leadership potential,” says Parker, who came to TWU after attending a Christian high school in Kelowna, B.C. “I’m able to express myself through the many opportunities that Trinity gives me. Not only through the people, but also the countless opportunities that there are to be involved in leadership. Trinity for me will never just be a school that gave me just a degree. It also gave me practical life skills through those leadership opportunities. When I leave TWU, I can leave knowing that I not only left with a degree but also practical life experience.”

TWU stands on over 50 years of academic excellence in research and education. Many popular programs, such as the business, leadership, and nursing science degrees, have achieved national and global recognition. Part of the reason is that at TWU, students experience a seamless blend of academics, personal development, and professional preparation. The University has a strong history of community involvement and has partnerships with local businesses that allow students to apply their learning through practicums and internships. In addition to the 48 undergraduate degrees, TWU also offers 19 excellent master’s degrees. No matter what their passion, students can come here knowing they’ll discover their purpose and calling beyond a four-year degree.

Why is it that undergraduate students come to Trinity Western University to find their purpose, fresh faith perspectives, and lifelong friends and then end up growing in more ways than they ever imagined?

One reason: community.

For Jericho, it was TWU’s kind, supportive community that ties it all together. It’s something he experienced on Day 1. “As soon as I stepped on this ‘Trinity Ground’, I knew this was the place; Trinity was the place for me.”

He’s not the only one to share this.

For Parker, the first impression he got when he stepped foot on campus confirmed he was right where God wanted him. “I could already feel the warm, welcoming environment that Trinity Western University offers. Being able to connect with the faculty and other students around me by feeling so welcomed and invited is truly a heartwarming feeling. I’ve been able to make many friends who are willing to be a part of my life and make me feel loved and cared for,” says Parker.

He adds, “That community experience impacted me by giving me an environment where I can be myself.”

The same was true for Ellen, who found so much more than the professional business program she was looking for. She found a place of peace where she felt like she belonged and a safe haven that sheltered her during the global pandemic.

“My most meaningful experience at TWU is the genuine love, care, and support I received from the TWU community during the global pandemic.  Trinity stood up for its students, especially us international students. I knew that several [other] university campuses shut down completely 

and didn’t allow anyone, including international students, to live on campus. But TWU came through for us by letting us stay on campus, keeping Student Life open as an extra place for support and inquiries, pairing us with staff members who would check in on us, and give us support where and when needed. They made grocery gift cards that subsidized housing costs for those challenged in that area, and had gifts sent to us.”

Ellen adds, “I’m glad that of all the places I could have been at during such a time, it was Trinity that I found myself in.”

Ellen says that Trinity Western University is a place of not just thought but action, where leadership is expressed through humble, heartfelt service. Her personal experience at TWU during a global health crisis taught her “how important taking action is. It’s one thing to say you care for someone and it’s another to show it. If you can’t do something big, do something small … just do something.  Actions, no matter how small, speak louder than words.”

Jericho, Parker, and Ellen are not the only students who’ve found TWU to be a warm, safe, and supportive place to learn and grow. That’s because TWU’s distinct community is not an accident. The University is intentional about helping every student discover who they are, what they believe, and what they’re called to do in the world.

As a result, these three students and countless others have experienced the TWU difference: a university education that transformed them not just intellectually but emotion- ally, socially, and spiritually —because it’s only when our hearts and minds are integrated that our highest potential is ignited and developed. 

Students from all walks of life and from all parts of the world come to Trinity Western University just as they are and find what they need to build a solid foundation for their future. They discover how to live their best life and use their education and talents for the good of the world and the glory of God. 

There are times in our life journey when God calls us to join a new community, because it’s exactly what we need to learn and grow during a new phase of life. TWU specializes in giving students an unforgettable experience during one of the most important segments of their lives. 

To see what’s on the horizon, go to twu.ca/apply to get started.

The post Trinity Western University: Dare to Ask for More appeared first on Converge Media.

If you’ve had a hard time with your mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic, you’re not alone. Results from a US CDC survey indicate that young adults aged 18-24 are the most likely age group to experience a mental health challenge during the pandemic (Czeisler, et al., 2020).

Sanctuary Mental Health Ministries equips the Church to support mental health and wellbeing. That includes your mental health and wellbeing as a Christian student. And one of the best frameworks for incorporating this into your everyday life is the five ways to wellbeing: learn, take notice, be active, connect, and give. Based on a research review conducted by the New Economics Foundation, these are evidence-based actions that can help you feel good and function well (Aked et al., 2008).

These ways are also congruent with God’s desires for our lives. Throughout Scripture, we see that God cares about our minds, emotions, bodies, and relationships. This tells us that we should prioritize these things as well. It can be tough to focus on your mental health when you’ve got midterms to cram for and papers to write. But God loves and values you; taking care of yourself acknowledges your inherent God-given value. Below are some ideas for incorporating the five ways to wellbeing into your everyday life as a student. We encourage you to view them as a way to receive and engage with God’s love for you.

Learn

Learning is about more than passing your required classes. It’s also important to expand your knowledge in other areas. Research shows that learning as an adult can help you increase self-confidence, self-esteem, open-mindedness, and social engagement (Campbell, 2006; Motschilnig et al., 2012). You can kickstart your learning by taking electives in subjects outside of your major. You can also try learning a new language using a free app, learning how to fix your bike, listening to insightful podcasts (may we suggest The Sanctuary Podcast?), or taking up a hobby like photography or crafting.

Take Notice

Taking notice is about being present in the moment. Be aware of your surroundings; soak in the sounds, sights, and scents that you experience. Connect with your thoughts and feelings to ground yourself in the present. The emotions wheel is a fantastic tool that can help you identify and name your emotions¹. Being able to name and express how you feel, whether they’re positive or difficult emotions, can help you understand, process, and respond to your experiences. It can also help you have conversations with others about mental wellbeing. Open dialogue surrounding mental health and wellbeing reduces the stigma around this topic. If you want to connect this action item to your faith, try reading through a Psalm and identifying the emotions that are present in the text. You can also watch an IGTV from Sanctuary Ambassador Dr. Hillary McBride on emotions and their connection to the body on Instagram, @sanctuarymentalhealth.

Be Active

Exercise can help improve your mood and take your mind off any worries (Weir, 2011). Being active doesn’t have to be complicated —move in ways that feel good and honour the body and capabilities that God has given you. As a student, you likely have access to discounted gym memberships or cheaper fitness classes, so take advantage! You may want to join a student club/activity such as an outdoors club, recreational sports league, dance class, or martial arts studio. If your relationship with your body and exercise is complicated, you may want to focus on movement that simply brings you joy. Try taking a walk, stretching, skipping stones, gardening — anything that feels comfortable and fun.

Connect

Social relationships are crucial for emotional support and creating a sense of belonging. God created us as relational beings with a need to connect to others. Yet that need has been disrupted by the pandemic and social distancing measures. You may be missing loved ones, having been unable to see or touch each other for a long time. Perhaps restrictions are changing where you are and you’re wondering how to reconnect with people. Sanctuary Mental Health’s free app, Together Again, is one way to ignite conversations surrounding mental health and faith. Featuring a virtual deck of conversational cards filled with both light-hearted and serious questions, you can use these to connect with your friends and family as you navigate the transitions and challenges of the year together. Search for it on the App Store or Google Play.

If you’re experiencing Zoom fatigue, try going on a walk or bike ride with loved ones who live close by. Simple phone calls work too and can relieve the pressure of being on-camera, while reducing screen time. 

Give

Throughout the Bible we see how God gives to us — his children — out of love (John 3:16-18) and encourages us to do the same so that we may be blessed (Acts 20:35). Giving makes us feel good and has also been shown to positively impact our overall wellbeing. For example, one 2018 study found that volunteering is predictive of “better mental and physical health, life satisfaction, self-esteem, [and] happiness” (Yeung et al., 2017). Finances can be tight as a student, so you don’t necessarily have to give money. You can give your time, energy, or skills to a cause that’s important to you. Serve in your church and consider volunteering at a food bank, shoreline cleanup, tutoring club, or seniors’ home. You could also encourage a friend who’s feeling down, or give your time and attention to someone having a hard day. However, it may feel difficult to serve if you’re feeling anxious, depressed, or overwhelmed. God invites you into dialogue with him; consider asking Him about the ways in which you can give that still prioritize your wellbeing.

There you have it — five concrete ways to wellbeing that you can start implementing today. As you learn, take notice, be active, connect, and give, be encouraged that you’re taking proactive steps to prioritize your physical and mental wellbeing. Invite God into your journey through prayer and reading scripture as you nourish your mind, body, and soul. If you’re feeling overwhelmed or experiencing mental health challenges, please take advantage of mental health and crisis resources available on your campus. 

About Sanctuary Mental Health

If you’d like to continue learning about mental health and faith, head to sanctuarymentalhealth.org. Sanctuary creates quality mental health resources in collaboration with theologians, mental health professionals, and people with lived experiences of mental health challenges. Their flagship resource, The Sanctuary Course, is free and open to anyone who wants to learn more about mental health and faith. It’s an eight-week course designed for small groups that features a thought-provoking discussion guide and engaging videos. This resource is a great place to start as you prioritize your mental health and wellbeing this school year. You can also follow along on Instagram (@sanctuarymentalhealth), Facebook (@sanctuarymentalhealth), and Twitter (@sanctuarymh), to find more content and resources about mental health and faith.

The post How to Prioritize Your Mental Health this School Year appeared first on Converge Media.

While the Great Reset may solve some socio-economic issues, it would exacerbate others. The ambitions of modern techno-industrial economies have always been to redesign global societies in a way that removes any natural limits on production and profit. Schwab postures the Great Reset as the best solution to myriad social and economic woes that have plagued humankind—corporate greed among them—and yet its outcome would be no different. A cursory read through Schwab’s other writings will reveal a salvific narrative about not only how to recover from economic recession, but eliminate debt entirely. Money is power, and if money is no obstacle, there is nothing that monolithic agencies like the WEF cannot achieve. The Great Reset would tip the already-uneven scales of power around the world, and take away freedom from the grassroots economies of local communities.

At bottom, the ambitions of our techno-industrial economy are incompatible with following Jesus. This may sound radical, but please hear this: it may no longer be enough of a witness to live Christianly in a secular economy. The game has changed, and being a faithful witness to Christ means ordering our lives according to a counter-economy. 

The plans of economists like Schwab are not chiefly concerned with preserving sacred, localized histories, traditions, and ecologies. Their only concern is with long-term economic growth. In his essay Sex, Economy, Freedom and Community, Wendell Berry warns that elevating economic concerns over people and places inflicts damage on communities. He says, “[t]he global economy does not exist to help the communities and localities of the globe. It exists to siphon the wealth of those communities into a few bank accounts. To this economy, democracy and the values of religious traditions mean absolutely nothing.” A local economy is part and parcel of a community’s common life—those shared rituals and livelihoods are what make a community. Local communities and their economies are born from one place; they know that place intimately, and how to care for it. These communities are in danger of being swallowed up and their cultural values rewritten by globalists like Schwab.

JUNE 2018—a 19th-Century Gothic cathedral in the German village of Immerath was demolished. The church was the last remaining building in the historic village, which had been purchased by the German energy corporation RWE for the expansion of their lignite coal mine. RWE’s nearby mining operations slowly edged out the townspeople from their own homes, making the land unusable to its local farming economy. The residents of Immerath were relocated to a new town, Immerath Neu. The village was a historic piece of German culture, over 1,000 years old.

The same story is unfolding here in Canada. After the court approved the logging of old-growth forests in Fairy Creek, BC, peaceful protestors were cuffed and tear-gassed, having their face-masks ripped off by police officers. While we may not experience this level of intimidation and control, our lives are subject to the interests of these same powerful actors.

C.S. Lewis anticipated this callous destruction of local communities in his science fiction fantasy novel That Hideous Strength—the third and final part of his Space Trilogy. There’s a scene where research fellow Mark Studdock discusses the plans of the N.I.C.E. (National Institute for Co-ordinated Experiments) to divert the River Wynd with his colleague Cosser. When told that the river Wynd will be diverted through the village of Cure Hardy, Mark asks Cosser,

We rightly want everyone to get what they need to thrive. However, this should not come at the cost of overall communal health. Berry writes, “[i]n a viable neighborhood, neighbors ask themselves what they can do or provide for one another, and they find answers that they and their place can afford. This, and nothing else, is the practice of neighborhood” (orionmagazine.org). A faithful Christian, Berry’s conviction is rooted in the command to love our neighbours (Matthew 19:19; 22:39). Cultivating this neighbourliness in your life begins with small acts of service—turning from a large-scale economy to an economy of smallness and locality.

This conversation between Mark and Cosser appears to be prophetic about the sad fate of places like Immerath and Fairy Creek. In the same conversation, the “small rentier” and the “agricultural labourer” are seen by the progressive N.I.C.E  as antiquated relics of the human past. Cosser describes the farmer as “a very recalcitrant element in a planned community” who is “always backward.” The N.I.C.E. sees all biological life—especially human life—as ugly, dirty and “backwards”. Similarly, the WEF wants to eliminate any sort of limit on human existence, from death to financial debt.  

In contrast, Mark’s wife Jane joins a counter community at St. Anne’s Manor led by Dr. Ransom from the previous novels. This community models a pre-industrial economy that is connected to the land and cares for its people. By choosing this economic model, the community at St. Anne’s practices quiet faith in the return of Maleldil (the extraterrestrial name for Jesus). Lewis’s novel reminds us that in order to faithfully follow Jesus, we will likely have to resist the cultural powers that be. That resistance means waiting on the Lord. 

If, as Lewis suggests, the economy is at odds with the realities of human life, we need to reevaluate our understanding of what the word economy means. Politicians typically use it to describe the passing of money between entities, but it’s meaning goes far deeper. The etymological root of economy means “management of one’s resources” or, literally, “management of the home” (Oxford Dictionary). Understood this way, the economy is deeply human. Whenever we talk about any economy, what we are really talking about is the best way to order our society. The right aim of an economy is not ever greater wealth, but ensuring that individuals and communities flourish.

As human beings, our created purpose is to cultivate our neighbourhood according to the Creator’s will for it. To approach our work as cultivation is not to rule like an authoritarian regime, but an ordering of existence that helps the Creation flourish. A faithful witness to Christ must include this neighbourhood mindset.

When Jesus called his disciples to deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow him (Matthew 6:24-27), he identified a counter-cultural economy that orders our lives according to the will of the Creator. For this reason, Jesus told his disciples to “seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:33). The counter-cultural economy of the kingdom that Jesus calls us to is one that ranks profit last, and puts faithful love and obedience first.

The itinerant preacher A.W. Tozer knew this well in his own life. In his book The Pursuit of God, Tozer admonishes followers of Christ that “[t]he blessed ones who possess the kingdom are those who have repudiated every external thing and have rooted from their hearts all sense of possessing.” The counter-economy of God’s kingdom begins rooting in our lives with the painful work of self-denial. Only then can we have true peace in Christ who holds all things together.

The kingdom of God breaks into this world through communities that have been changed by Christ, and not through any human plans. As the community at St. Anne’s waits in simple faith for the return of Maleldil in That Hideous Strength, quietly tending their gardens and loving their neighbours, so must the Church. It has always been the responsibility of God’s people to love and care for our community, and that responsibility is an essential part of our witness in the world today. By ordering our lives according to God’s good design, I believe that we will see a ripple effect of renewal in our communities. And it begins when we respond to God’s call to seek Him first.

Cover photo: © Superbass / CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons), 2018-01-09-Abriss St. Lambertus (Immerath)-6148, CC BY-SA 4.0

The post The Counter-Cultural Economy of God’s Kingdom appeared first on Converge Media.

When the pandemic hit, I was in the process of transitioning out of full-time vocational ministry into a career in business. It was scary. I had spent my whole life preparing to be a pastor, but God was asking me to trust him with something new. It was a time of many unknowns and great uncertainty. But rather than crushing my career and calling, God used the timing of the pandemic to create the conditions for a whole new way of life to be born in me. Rather than totally freaking out (which I did at various points), I chose to have faith. By God’s grace, I trusted that he would provide the right job for me, and he did. I’ve been in this new career now for almost a year, and I love it. But it wasn’t easy to get to this point. God had to teach me some lessons about new beginnings along the way. And it’s those lessons I want to share with you as you attempt to navigate life after the pandemic. 

Focus on Jesus Not the Fresh Start.

This may sound counter intuitive, but focusing on the fresh start (that new job or career or whatever new place you’re heading) will only stress you out. Trust me—I know from experience. It is very overwhelming to start a new job or career when you feel underprepared and underqualified. I felt overwhelmed when I interviewed for a new job in sales. I lacked any business education or sales experience to prove that I was qualified for the job. All I had was my service to the church and my seminary degrees. I found the more I focused on my deficiencies, the more I saw impossibilities. Would I be able to start a new career with so little going for me? The prospect of excelling at something I knew next to nothing about just didn’t seem possible.

But by slowly shifting my focus on Jesus and away from all that I thought I lacked, I was able to trade my fears for faith. I know that sounds cheesy, but it’s true. I asked Him to help me see how my past experiences in ministry could provide new possibilities in business. I asked Him to give me the right job that would maximize my talents and give me the freedom to serve the church. And guess what? When I set my eyes on Jesus and His accomplishments rather than my (lack of) accomplishments, He opened the doors for me and provided the perfect job. As you aspire to try something new, focus on Jesus, first. Ask Him to help you find that job or career that is just right for you.

Find People Who Can Help You.

After focusing on Jesus, you need to find people who know you and love you. This is especially true when making big life decisions or when those decisions are forced upon you. It’s because people who know us and love us can speak into our lives and help guide us as we attempt to navigate uncharted territory. Proverbs 15:22 says “plans fail for lack of counsel but with many advisers they succeed.” I can honestly say I could not have made the decision to leave ministry without the help of wise men and women around me confirming that it was the right decision. I also would not have gotten a job without some of my close friends opening the doors for me. We need other people who love Jesus and love us to help us make a successful fresh start. So ask yourself: “who are the people in my life who can help me as I attempt to venture into something new?”. Once you’ve identified those people, don’t hesitate to reach out and ask for help!

Transform Your Thinking about Your and Calling.

For years, I thought I would only be happy doing full-time vocational ministry. I couldn’t imagine what life would be like if I wasn’t doing ministry. My mindset was stuck in a limited understanding of what it meant to serve God. But God wants us to have a holistic understanding when it comes to serving him with our life and vocation. Changing our thinking and getting the right understanding starts with God’s word. Reading the word expands your mind and imagination, and as a result, you can enjoy God in more creative and life-giving ways in your work, ministry, and play. Scripture also talks a great deal about transforming your mentality (Romans 12:2). It is so important to transform your thinking about what constitutes a career and calling that will make you “happy.” You might not even be scratching the surface of the deep joy and satisfaction God has in store for you. Try this: Ask God to open your mind to consider new possibilities (school, career, ministries) which will unleash and expand all your latent creativity and potential. 

Trust that God Knows what He’s Doing.

The Bible tells us that we are God’s “masterpiece” and that he has planned good things for us to do (Ephesians 2:10). I have found that God tends to know what will make us flourish and come alive far better than we do. And for us to experience what we were created for, we must let go of the old and trust God with the new. I needed to let go of my vision of full-time ministry to experience a whole new life and calling in business. And when I did, God showed me what I was created for and capable of. Are you holding on to an old vision of your life? Your career? Your calling? What would it look like for you to let those go and trust God with an entirely new vision for you? You are God’s “masterpiece.” Will you trust him with all the “good things” he has in store for your life?

God knows what he’s doing. He designed you. He has a plan and purpose for you. Maybe you have been trying to live a life you think will make you happy and it just isn’t working. Have you considered that maybe the pandemic puts you in a perfect position to trust God with something new? “I am doing a new thing,” God says in Isaiah. Will you let him do something new in you after the pandemic? Or better yet, right now? Will you trust him with a fresh start and new beginning? Will you rest assured that God knows what he’s doing in you? My prayer for you is that you will.

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