Transhumanist Holy Week: Holy Tuesday
IMAGE: PHOTO OF JESUS AND DISCIPLES PAINTING
On Holy Tuesday, many churches reflect on the image of Christ as Bridegroom. The intimate relationship of marriage is used throughout Jewish and Christian scripture. Perhaps we find this image so powerful because of the closeness, intimacy, vulnerability, and humanity that it brings. It brings front and center the reality and centrality of relationship and how the image of Christ can emerge from relationship.
Technology is a powerful tool for human relationship. Indeed, one can view technology as essentially a relationship tool. Fire, tools, farming, trade, economy, etc, all have had transformational impacts on human relationships. But technology is not inherently good or evil. Fire can unite and protect, but it can also destroy. Tools can provide safety and ability, but they can also be turned into weapons. Farming can grow a community and (throuh silos) protect against times of famine, but it can also produce oppresive power structures. Trade and economy can support complex and diverse societies, but it can also create crushing poverty and oligarchies.
The difference in whether tools destroy or unite is not the technologies themselves but how we choose to use them. Will we use technology in ways that fray or sever relationships? Will we use our technologies to put self above other? Or will we turn to images like Christ as bridegroom and find ways to have our technologies build strong, charitable relationships that allow for vulnerability, intersubjective love, and a closeness that can heal what can sometimes be a isolated world.
On this Holy Tuesday, we can reflect on our tools and technologies and how they can reflect and sustain the life of Jesus and the relationships that support and define our humanity and divinity.