Relying on direction: God’s grace in times of confusion
Let me preface the following by asserting that I am not a conspiracy theorist.
That being said, many conspiracy theories were running through my head Thursday Feb. 22 when, according to the Washington Post, “More than 1.7 million AT&T customers across the country reported problems with their cellphone service.”
Headed to the second day of Southeastern Theological Seminary’s Center for Faith and Culture’s conference, “Exploring Personhood: Challenges to Humanity,” armed only with vague memories of taking this left at the fork or that right at the intersection and my trusty but significantly limited Google Maps app, I carefully navigated myself from my host home to the seminary campus.
Feeling rather accomplished with this small feat and concerned that I had no data bars (albeit I had access to Wi-Fi by then), I did what every sensible college student would do.
I called my mother.
She quickly brought me up to speed on the situation and I began thinking up contingency plans for if my navigation apps weren’t up and running by the end of the day. The fact that thousands of individuals had lost cell service was both frightening and (at least, for me) timely. The conference I was attending covered themes such as transhumanism, an increasing dependence on and experimentation with technology and the nature of inherently broken human relationships.
We are now well into our third week of Lent, and this period of thoughtfulness is a time well-suited for considering the things that we take for granted and depend on to an unhealthy degree. I’ve lived in Lynchburg on and off for seven years, and I still use my Google Maps app to navigate around the city. This isn’t inherently sinful, but my failure to detach from the comfort of an electronic voice directing which way my wheels turn is perhaps indicative of an overdependence. Long gone are the days of widespread physical map usage.
Going back to my time in North Carolina, not having access to my data plan became a conviction. This lack of access allowed for space to think of ways that I could learn to circumvent a reliance upon the internet. Upon regaining service, however, I immediately checked all of my messages, breathed a sigh of relief at finally having access to Instagram and dutifully checked X. I subsequently blanched at my quickness to resume my dependence. For those excruciating yet measly five hours prior, I was forced to reckon with the fact that if the U.S. ever experiences an apocalypse, I will be sorely unprepared.
Now, that is not to say that my new approach to living will look like creating a bomb shelter and stocking up on foodstuffs (although, there is a time and a place for everything). I will be looking, however, to become more independent of my digital devices and all of their wondrous apps.
As my dad always says, “Prior proper planning prevents poor performance.” Many of us Android and Apple consumers have become complacent in the face of convenience. So, in as non-conspiracy theorist a way as possible, I plan to buy a map and properly plan and reevaluate what I put my faith in. Technology is a gift, but it does not reign supreme. I hope to remain a thankful employer of its conveniences yet ever aware of the fact that all this (I’m gesturing in a wide circle) is impermanent.
Like John 17:15-17 communicates, Christians live in and engage with this world but are headed for another. My true foundation lies not in my iPhone 11, but in the goodness, mercy, forgiveness and all-answering sufficiency that resides in my heavenly Father.
Glen is the social media & web manager for the Liberty Champion. Follow her on X.
