CHURCHES, CARNIVALS & CREATION

I passed a church carnival the other evening. There next to the Gothic spires of Catholicism were the gaudy heights of Ferris Wheels and rocket rides. Inside the church the aroma of incense and candles; outside, the smell of popcorn and pizza. A flinty-edged profile in contrasts....!

And yet, each promises a way out of this world. The church offering 2000 years of sacred theology about life-after-death. The carnival promises a few hours of giggly escape into a life-within-a-life. Having attended each for many years, I find very good reason for each. Only lately, each has given itself over more and more to the gadgetry of our times.

Inside the church they now have surround-sound PA systems, special lighting effects for special celebrations, even a video screen. After all, they reason, if Jesus had these in Galilee, he surely would have made use of them. You know, he was a pretty cool guy who knew how to reach the people.

Similarly, the carnival may have seemed just like the rickety old ones of my youth, yet closer examination revealed the advanced technologies driving its rides and lighting its realm. I mean, these traveling carnies are pretty cool too.

Writers are funny this way, we look at things other than the things we're looking at. For instance, creation. Maybe it's a stretch, but when a low-tech observer surveys all this technology at work in our world today, he is, first, impressed; second, concerned. Concerned that what we have created might some day prove a problem. I'm thinking here the well-intentioned Dr Frankenstein. More to the point, the very well-intentioned God of Genesis. You'll recall how those creations turned out...!

What's especially concerning to someone like me is how the more technology we create to serve us, how often it fails us. We build bigger bridges and faster planes, only to see them all too often falter....we design smarter communications and more ingenious networking, only to watch them allow enormous errors....we create larger arsenals and more powerful satellites, only to become their targets in the hands of others.

One thing we're good at, though, and that's using our technologies to find out why our technologies let us down. For instance, every collapsed bridge, crashed plane, computer error, and technology-driven corruption in government always produces another commission. And that's good. Only it's always after the fact.

It's before the fact when we most need the wisdom of these experts. As they say in another technology-driven field: "Preventive medicine is always the best medicine!"

Which brings me back to my carnival. Perched on the top seat of the Ferris Wheel I was able to survey the dots of homes below in which people rested this night. Good for them. Only how much better for all of us if only we could do a smarter job before we decide to create something. Which of course troubles me, because if He ran into problems, what are our chances like...?