Precision and Perception (Essentials Blue Fall 2008) October 17, 2008

 

For: The Institute of Contemporary and Emerging Worship Studies, St. Stephen’s University, Essentials Blue Online Worship Theology Course with Dan Wilt 

 

So, I read Dan Wilt’s section on The Nature of God this week,(1) and I was reminded of a course I took last year on technology.

Digital and Analog

Coming from our current technological culture, we tend to assume that going ‘digital’ is the better choice. And yes, we have experienced great advances in our recording abilities. However, to assume that we are getting greater precision would be false.

For example, let’s think about a clock. An analog clock, a circle model like the ones we learned to read in elementary school, shows us time. However, if you picture a model where the second hand is always in continual motion, it is nearly impossible to ever read the clock exactly. For even if we can gather that it is 2:34pm and 30 odd seconds, the second hand never rests long enough for us to get an actual reading. It is in continual motion.

Now if we think about a digital clock, it is easy to see what the time is. 2:34pm, cut and dry. 

However, it is easy to recognize that we don’t have all the information. When we converted to digital, we actually had to cut out part of the information. We had to choose to ’round off’ at some point. And with that we loose precision. Because even though it may be 2:34 and 58 seconds (much nearer to 2:35), our perception of time still reads 2:34.

So although ‘digital’ maybe quicker, and more ‘advanced,’ when it comes right down to it, it is LESS percise than Analog. And at times, it can lead us to false perceptions of reality.

Now — Back to theology..

I was very intrigued how Dan Wilt connected the concepts of digital and analog to theology. One of the accomplishments of ‘going digital’ is to create sounds / images/ etc. that seem near to perfect. The downside, is that we have grown to dislike the messiness, the errors, and the glitches in life.

When we approach theology and our spiritual journey this way we are in grave danger!

To expect that we should be perfect in our spiritual walks, and to expect that we can find a concept of God that we like, and can fully understand is to trick ourselves into valuing ‘digital theology.’ And in the process, we allow ourselves to slip into a false perception of God and reality.

Our lives are analog. Things are messy. Things take time. We will fall into failure, and we will have doubts about God and His nature. But to cut out these moments of life, or to cut out the these moments from the history of the church, would be to miss a huge piece of who God is.

Personally…

I am encouraged to live my spiritual walk in more of an ‘analog’ style. To slow things down. To value the journey, not the outcome. To see every opportunity as a chance to learn more about the nature of God.

An analog life is a continual life. One that doesn’t wish to jump to the next comfortable and ‘easy to process’ moment in the future. I have a hard time with this. But I do know that I don’t want to miss out on insight that God can reveal to me. So, as I’ve said before… I’ll keep journeying. One moment at a time. 

(1) Dan Wilt, Essentials in Worship Theology (New Brunswick, Canada: Institute of Contemporary and Emerging Worship Studies, St. Stephens University, 2008), 9.