Many of our greatest minds are unconsciously trapped in a sixteenth
century view of the world. This is particularly true for secular humanitarians, theologians and religious philosophers. Consequently, many minds that could most be of service in creating a future that is not devoid of compassion are self-isolated. Feeling misunderstood, disjointed
and out of touch, they are afraid of scientific and technological advancement. Theology and science are not incompatible disciplines, in fact they are complementary.
Religion without science is delusional. Science without religion is self-destructive. The religious ideal of divine love is not an idea that is counter-productive to the scientific development. It is the best idea humanity has come up with to describe a meaningful existence. All of humanity desires to be deeply loved on the personal level. Whether we know it or not, all of us are part of a cosmos that resonates with the divine impulse to love and be loved.
We can't control nature. We are nature, and nature has the capacity to move beyond whatever is stifling it. Evolution will happen with or without us. Technology is not an obstacle to any of this. Uniting technology with theology provides infinite space of creativity to build new life in the cosmos, and this is already happening at a remarkable pace in all directions at once.
Consider the advances of the past few decades. There is more technology in one smart phones than there was on the first spacecraft that landed on the moon. Technology is not a new idea or something to be feared. Nature itself is technological. Each human person is a creative activity of life projecting itself forward into the next moment. We can engage fully in the evolution happening now, or be brushed aside as the advances happen. We cannot control nature, but we can engage or disengage.
When we allow our human brains to be limited biologically and undisciplined educationally, we fail to grasp fundamental truth. Our biases and sluggishness makes us cling to assumptions that were long ago proven false. We are not the center of a universe that revolves around us. There are many universes and all are in constant motion. Our failure to see time and space as it really is slows us down and obstructs evolution of life on the planet.
Reflections from Ilia Delio retreat based on her new book A Hunger for Wholeness: Soul, Space, and Transcendence.
Religion without science is delusional. Science without religion is self-destructive. The religious ideal of divine love is not an idea that is counter-productive to the scientific development. It is the best idea humanity has come up with to describe a meaningful existence. All of humanity desires to be deeply loved on the personal level. Whether we know it or not, all of us are part of a cosmos that resonates with the divine impulse to love and be loved.
We can't control nature. We are nature, and nature has the capacity to move beyond whatever is stifling it. Evolution will happen with or without us. Technology is not an obstacle to any of this. Uniting technology with theology provides infinite space of creativity to build new life in the cosmos, and this is already happening at a remarkable pace in all directions at once.
Consider the advances of the past few decades. There is more technology in one smart phones than there was on the first spacecraft that landed on the moon. Technology is not a new idea or something to be feared. Nature itself is technological. Each human person is a creative activity of life projecting itself forward into the next moment. We can engage fully in the evolution happening now, or be brushed aside as the advances happen. We cannot control nature, but we can engage or disengage.
When we allow our human brains to be limited biologically and undisciplined educationally, we fail to grasp fundamental truth. Our biases and sluggishness makes us cling to assumptions that were long ago proven false. We are not the center of a universe that revolves around us. There are many universes and all are in constant motion. Our failure to see time and space as it really is slows us down and obstructs evolution of life on the planet.
Reflections from Ilia Delio retreat based on her new book A Hunger for Wholeness: Soul, Space, and Transcendence.
