Aryanto Wijaya

Growing up in the last two decades, I have witnessed and enjoyed many technological transitions that have transformed our lives. I can still recall how different things were. When I needed to be picked up in primary school, I had to find a public phone booth at the corner of a street and pay a coin in order to call my mother. To communicate with distant friends or relatives, I had to write letters by hand on a piece of paper, cycle to the nearest post office, buy stamps, and mail them, often waiting for more than a month to receive a response.

Nowadays, those practices seem like relics from the past, almost medieval in comparison. Yet, they were not so long ago, just within the span of two short decades. In that brief period, we have experienced massive changes that are still ongoing. Transportation, communication, food, even military technologies have become more and more advanced.

Despite the many advances that have improved our lives, we face a big question: can these advances also harm us in the long run?

One example of such an advance is ChatGPT—an artificial intelligence that can converse with humans using natural language. This sophisticated robot, developed by OpenAI, a research body in the US, has amazed and impressed the public with its abilities. It is still in its trial phase, but I had the opportunity to try it myself and I was blown away by the results. We could ask any questions in Indonesian or English and get neat and accurate answers, unlike the ones from Google Translate, which are often off and unrealistic. The robot could respond to any questions we posed, and not only that, it could also perform tasks like summarizing a sermon, composing a prayer, writing a song, or even making up sweet-nothings!

However, this also raises some concerns. What if ChatGPT makes school children lazy and encourages plagiarism? After all, they could write a paper by just typing a question or a keyword. Or what if this robot takes over human roles and causes huge and unforeseen losses in the future?

Two Extreme Responses

Human beings have always been creating and innovating to make life easier and more comfortable on earth. Thanks to those efforts, we can enjoy many benefits today that were not possible before. For example, we can travel in planes, have life-saving heart transplants, modify the weather, and read articles on our phone screens. All these are the result of the hard work of our predecessors, who have improved their inventions over generations.

Technology also has a positive impact on our spiritual life, as it can help us spread the Gospel to more people. We can agree that good advanced technology is the one that serves human needs and honors God.

However, we also live in a broken world full of sin, and we need to be careful not to let technology deceive us and distract us from God. The problem is not with technology itself, but with our sinful nature and how we use it.

Let me give you a simple example: a motorcycle is a useful tool for transportation. We can use it to visit a sick friend, deliver a hot lunch to an elderly church member, or do other good deeds. But the same motorcycle can be a deadly weapon if we misuse it—by racing on the streets, riding without helmets, or ignoring traffic lights.

In Christian Scholar’s Review, Derek C. Schuurman identifies two extreme responses that Christians may have regarding the advance of technology. One is to be overly optimistic and believe that technology can solve every problem in the world. This view assumes that all problems are technical in nature and that advanced technology can provide all the answers. The other is to be fearful and anxious and see technology as a threat to human existence.

To avoid these extremes, we need to go back to the Bible and see what it says about humans. According to theologian Herman Bavinck, “the whole being . . . and not something in man but man himself, is the image of God.” This means that humans have a unique dignity and value that cannot be replaced by any technological product. For instance, ChatGPT may answer our questions or social media may connect us with others, but no technology can substitute the warm embrace we give to someone in sorrow or the words of encouragement we whisper to a best friend. Wisdom, love, and friendship are human qualities and actions that technology, no matter how advanced, cannot replicate.

Of course, we also need to acknowledge our sinful nature and how it can corrupt good things. But this does not mean that we should reject technology altogether. Rather, we should use it wisely and creatively to help more people in ways that honor God.

ChatGPT is a tool that can help us enhance our ministry, whether inside or outside the church. We can use it to get ideas and references for our devotionals or sermons, or to find answers that can broaden our perspective. We can also use it to practice our writing skills by creating Christian articles that are engaging and trustworthy enough to be published in reputable Christian media. These are just some of the ways that we can leverage technology to share the Word of God with the world. Instead of avoiding technology or becoming complacent, we should use it as an opportunity to fulfill our roles as the salt and light of this world.

As Christians, we should not be fearful or resistant to new technologies, but we can use them wisely and seek God’s guidance. We can also participate in more diverse discussions related to technology so that we can learn how to live in this changing era while relying on God’s wisdom and the source of the eternal and unchanging true love, our Lord Jesus Christ (Hebrews 13:8).

And most importantly, we need to be courageous to speak the truths of God’s Word. Technological advances make it easier for people to access and adopt various ideologies and teachings. But this does not mean we should start unnecessary arguments or oppose those who have different opinions from us.

Our thoughts, contributions, and prayers are our way of bringing shalom to the world.

Our Daily Bread Ministries in Indonesia is supported by the freewill offering of individuals in Indonesia, who through their gifts enable us to continue to bring the life-changing wisdom of the Bible to many here. We are not funded by any church or organisation.

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