Mobile Ministry Magazine

When I looked at the latest review of the Dell Inspiron XPS2 at NotebookReview.com, one of the things that interested me was the perspective of the person that reviewed the laptop. They were a person who had grown to like the idea of building their computer to their specifications and style, and then tweaking and sitting back and enjoying their creation. It got me thinking about tech tools, and if with them and the basic idea of customization, that we are fashioning idols to worship (or for others to worship us), or if we are making these tools enablers for those to get into the Temple (in our case to get to repentance and salvation through Jesus Christ).

I looked up the word 'tool' in my Strongs (the big book one and not the one on my PDA) and found only four instances of the word appearing (in the KJV at least). In three of the four cases there was a command to make sure that no tool was seen or heard in or near the altar. Kool, I can dig it. And in the other, Deut 27:5, it said to build an altar of stones, but not to use a tool. I was kinda taken back; how can one make an altar without tools? But as I read, i realized the siginfiance of realizing the way that God puts us together, the way stones fit together, and how the process of getting them to be acceptable places of sacrifice (both a stone altar and our lives) for His glory and not our own.

And so I thought, if tools were needed, why wernt they allow to be so close to the altar? I reflected back on Pat's article (I tend to quote that a lot dont I) and how he talked about making sure that the PDA was used, but was not a hindrance to those that might not be versed, or as knowledgable with the technology. And so it hit me (again), technology should have its place, but not placed in view over that which it was trying to build.

And so now I think back to that review, and what was it that he was trying to build when he had those computers. What is it that he would be building now that he has a laptop that he could customize? And does that take away from the purpose for having that tool? I think that for those of us who are technology-enabled, that we have to be careful that while making sure that we get the most out of our tech toys, that we do not allow for signifiance to be placed more on them, than on the God we are serving. To do so would disgrace His altar (our hearts), and make us to be idol worshippers.

NOTE: I am not saying that people who build and customize computers are idol worshippers, it was just an example used to get to a point. Apoligies if that manner of speaking offended anyone.