State of the art

PEOPLE nowadays are fascinated, and even obsessed, with

getting the latest version of their gadgets. They look forward to

having the so-called state of the art. To a certain extent, it’s a

fascination that is legitimate as long as it does not deteriorate into

an obsession which is already an anomaly and also as long as their

intention is pure.

            That might be a quixotic condition, given the way many

people are nowadays. While reasons for greater convenience and

practicality are okay in having the state of the art, such reasons

many times get diluted with traces of pride, vanity, envy and the

like. And that is not okay.

            Besides, while this state of the art offers many more

conveniences and advantages, it also brings with it new dangers. That

is why we have to understand that the state of the art in our

technologies should also be matched with the state of the art in our

spirituality and morality. We should not have the former without the

latter.

            Remember Christ saying that new wine should be poured into

new wineskin and not the old one. (cfr. Mt 9,14-17) We have to update

the state of our spirituality and morality to flow with the new

developments of the state of the art.

            To exaggerate a little, we can say that we cannot apply

the medieval ways of spirituality and morality to the way things are

nowadays. While there are permanent and essential things in our

spiritual and moral lives that should not change, we should not forget

that there are also many other elements that can and should change.

            We have to remember that God, whose life we share and

reflect in ours, is both eternally old and new. With God, nothing is

new under the sun. (cfr. Ecclesiastes 1,9)  But with him, everything

is also made new. (cfr. Rev 21,5)

            We need to see to it that the new state of the art in the

technologies should enhance, not undermine, our prayer, our spirit of

sacrifice, our apostolic concern, our defenses against our weaknesses,

temptations and sin, etc.

            The new state of the art should make us get closer to God,

enable us to give greater glory to him. It should help us get a more

intimate knowledge of God’s will and ways in a more abiding way. It

should make our heart stand still at the greatness of God and his

overflowing love for us.

            It should make us more fruitful and productive in our

pursuit for holiness and apostolate. It should not just give us some

material and temporal advantages, but rather more spiritual,

supernatural and apostolic fruits. It should trigger further

development of the virtues.

            Also, it should sharpen our skills in waging the

indispensable spiritual warfare in our life. Our ability to detect

potential moral dangers should improve. Nowadays, with our much

improved capacity to access things, we have to be wary of the subtle

tricks of the devil whose business is none other than to lead us to

sin.

            Today, for example, it’s a given that a great majority of

the people, especially the young ones, are addicted to pornography and

many other vices. The new state of the art in our technologies should

help us avoid these things by installing the appropriate warning,

filtering and purifying apps and devices.

            There should be some features in whatever state of the art

is developed that would help us maintain presence of God while

immersed in our temporal and earthly affairs. Some appropriate

reminders in this regard should be made. They should help us maintain

our spiritual and supernatural bearing.

            A state of the art that ignores the presence of God is,

simply said, never a sign of progress but rather of retrogression.