A Tale of Two Sanctifications
The sanctification of the Lord towards the image of his Son will win out over the sanctification of technology and media towards the image of our idols.
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For this piece, I am writing a parting exhortation of confidence and hope as I prepare for some changing seasons on my life. I’ll explain more of that at the end of this piece, but for now, I want to briefly talk about two narratives, two destinations, and how the Christian doctrine of sanctification wins out against the inevitable sanctification of technology and media.
Two Narratives, Two Destinations
The first narrative I want to contrast is a narrative that all of us have likely heard from multiple sources at this point, and some of us may have even contributed to ourselves. The specifics may vary from person to person, but the core story goes like this:
Technology and media are changing us in ways that we do not see and do not understand. We are more depressed, angry, distracted, prone to false information, and divided than ever before. We are trading our relationships with our family members and friends for para-social relationships with psuedo-celebrities who do not know us, and we are being conformed to the image of our idols as mediated through our screens. Because of the unstoppable cultural and economic forces of Big Tech and Big Media, our society will continue to fracture and break down along increasingly radicalized lines of hostility and result in anarchy and violence.
This narrative tells us that we are being changed by powerful forces beyond our control, and that the result of these changes are chaos and destruction. Whether the focus is on smartphones, social media, misinformation, or some other aspect of our current situation, the destination is the same - a technologized dystopian apocalypse.
The second narrative I want to contrast is a narrative unique to Christianity, rooted in the Christian doctrine of sanctification and glorification. The specifics may vary slightly, but the core story goes like this:
The Holy Spirit is changing us in ways that we do not see and do not understand. We are slowly being conformed to the image of Christ and growing in the grace and knowledge of the Lord. We are trading our love of the world and our sin with a love of God, his Word, and his coming kingdom, and we are being conformed to the image of Christ as mediated through his means of grace. Because of the life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ as proclaimed in the Gospel, Christians can be confident the Lord will return to judge the living and the dead and safely bring his people to eternal life in a new heavens and a new earth where there will be no more pain, suffering, or evil.
This narrative tells us that we are being changed by the God of the universe, and that the result of these changes is conformity to the righteous and holy Son of God. Whether the focus is on turning away from sin, gaining knowledge of God through his Word, bearing the fruit of the Spirit, or being profitable in good deeds, the destination is the same - glory in paradise for eternity.
Which of these two narratives are true? For the non-Christian, the first narrative is the only possible outcome; for the Christian, both narratives are true. Technology and media are changing us; the mediums we use are not value neutral; media literacy is the biggest gaping hole in our discipleship. The prognosis for this situation is serious and severe. And yet, for Christians, technology and media are not the only agents of change in our lives, nor are they the most powerful. Technology and media are sanctifying us to conform to a particular image, but Christ will not fail to sanctify us to conform to his image.
The Promises of God vs the Potential of Big Tech
Among secular and Christian writers, much of the present writing on media literacy, media ecology, or other media studies focuses inferring future results based on present circumstances and the urgent need for immediate change: if things are this bad already, they’re only going to get worse in the future unless we do something right now. Some expressions of this idea are more helpful than others, and there is plenty of sensationalized schlock masquerading as serious, thought-provoking commentary on Big Tech’s apocalyptic potential (The Netflix series Black Mirror immediately comes to mind). Behind the sleek PR curtain of NFTs, crypto, blockchains, Meta, and several other big-ticket tech trends is the less-exhilarating reality that many of these “things that are coming soon and you need to be ready (TM)” are not guaranteed to come at all, as their odds of success continue to be quietly stacked against them.
However, despite plenty of instances of unrealistic exaggeration, the core claim remains true: technology and media are changing us in ways that are already causing severe problems. We are now a decade plus into the smartphone and social media era and, outside of the social media marketing and ad-tech world, you will be hard pressed to find someone who speaks favorably of social media without a litany of asterisks and qualifications about all the harm it has wrought. The problem with inferring future results based on present circumstances is not that we may get too catastrophic with our predictions, but that it’s very easy to dismiss the less-exciting potential that has already been realized. The Great Hack, The Social Dilemma, and Bo Burnham’s Inside have told the masses the “Social Media is Bad”, and the numb and disinterested public responds with “So what? Get new material!”
Devoid of the promises of God, Big Tech’s destructive potential is significant and worthy of serious concern. Against the backdrop of the promises of God that belong to those in Christ, this destructive potential remains very significant and worthy of concern, but not concern devoid of confidence and hope. For the Christian, these two narratives are true, but one of these narratives will outlast the other. The promises of God to his people - that by his perfect grace he will guard and keep us as we journey towards his unshakeable kingdom - will prove true no matter how many of Big Tech’s worst potentials are realized, and it is because the promises of God will prove true that we can confidently work to close the biggest gaping hole in our discipleship. Media literacy education is just as much a fruit of God’s sanctifying work as financial literacy, or marriage counseling, or evangelism training, or any of the other means that God uses to work in us to conform us to Christ. We engage in these things not because they’re guaranteed to spare us from trial and hardship (though they may help alleviate their pain somewhat); we engage in these things because the narrative of our sanctification and future glorification gives us the courage to engage in this work knowing the narrative of a technological dystopia cannot rob us of everything Christ has accomplished for us on the cross - and everything Christ is going to do in light of his accomplishments.
In the tale of two sanctifications, the sanctification of the Lord towards the image of his Son will win out over the sanctification of technology and media towards the image of our idols. Even if a technological dystopia is a destination we are headed towards, it will only be a stop on the journey towards our final destination. Our confidence is not in our ability to preserve ourselves, our families, and our children from the effects of Digital Babylon; our confidence is that God’s grace and power is perfect to keep us as he leads us in, through, and - one day - out of Digital Babylon towards New Jerusalem.
A Parting Word for Changing Seasons
There is a season for everything, and a time for every activity under heaven. In September, the Lord abruptly ended my season of seminary studies due to a family medical situation and freed me up for a season of the most intense writing and research I’ve ever done, both through podcasting and this Substack. By the Lord’s grace, I will be resuming my seminary studies in early May, and with April being an incredibly busy month (both with Easter and a significant event happening at my church birthed from this season of work), this is a good time to bring this season of focused writing to a pause while I transition to finishing out the last year and a half of my degree in biblical studies from Reformed Theological Seminary.
While I am not going to rule out a sporadic newsletter here and there, this will likely be the last major piece that I write until I complete seminary. Any writing that I do until then will likely be on Twitter; although not ideal for this subject, I am able to write more freely/quickly on Twitter than I am for a newsletter. One of my goals in starting this Substack was to have a place to return to when my time in seminary ended, and while I was only able to write a handful of pieces thus far, I am glad to know I have a place to return to when this upcoming season of seminary comes to an end. I am incredibly thankful for everyone who has subscribed and interacted with this Substack and look forward to resuming this work when the Lord allows for it.
Until then, we are passing through Digital Babylon.
Austin.