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Articles

The ministry of being present during the holidays

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November 24, 2016

Some of us can’t wait until the holiday season gets here. Others, if we’re honest, can’t wait until it’s over. These days will be filled with food, sports, and for many of us, lots and lots of friends and family. The different types of people—and various dysfunctions—can be overwhelming. Gathering together can cause a mix of emotions to arise, and all of this often converges at our holiday gatherings around a dinner table.

In these moments, it’s easy to become distracted, detached or even fake in the way that we interact with the people around us. We chalk up these reactions to “just getting through the day” or even justify them as “keeping the peace.” But underneath all of this is usually a false belief about those around us. It’s easy to forget that our identity is in Christ and, as a result, we resort to treating others as commodities during the holiday season.

In Matthew 22:37-40, Christ speaks of the first and second greatest commandments. He tells the Pharisees, Sadducees and all those who would hear,

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”

All of scripture can be summed up in these two commandments, and they are to drive everything we do as Christ’s followers. But what does it mean for God’s people to love him with all that they are and to love others as ourselves during the holidays? Instead of getting lost in a game on TV, isolating ourselves with the same group of people year after year, or even putting up a facade of niceness in order to get through the day, we should allow the scriptures to reorient our minds and hearts as we prepare for our holiday gatherings.

I have four suggestions, flowing from these commandments, as we think through our time with family and friends this week:

1. Remember that everyone around you is created in the image of God.

When we gather with a group of people, we’ll often gravitate toward those like us. We might avoid some people based on their lifestyles, political views or even religious views. This natural tendency of all humans is rooted in a prideful arrogance that, without realizing it, denies the fact that all people are created in the image of God, thus having dignity and worth.

It’s easy for us to categorize people based on politics, religion, sexuality, parenting styles or a number of other factors. This categorizing of people is not something that Christians should embrace. Rather, we should seek to remember the fact that we have more in common with everyone around us than we realize.

If believe Christ’s words, then we’ll love our neighbors—regardless of how difficult it is—and seek to be present with them during the time the Lord has ordained for us to be together. As Christians, we need to work to be present with those around us, loving those who many might see as our enemies, rather than broken people created in God’s image, who are worthy of our respect and attention.

2. Remember that some are suffering around you.

How many times this season will you ask or be asked, “How are you doing?” These simple, rote greetings are not harmful in themselves, but they often serve as a way to avoid being present with people and engaging them in conversation. It’s wise to remember that many people that you’ll greet this week aren’t doing well. Many are suffering through various trials. Some are secretly struggling with sin. Others are suffering with illness or infertility. Many are going through marital or familial trials. And some are dealing with extreme loneliness.

Your presence can be a means of God’s grace in their lives. It can be one of the many ways that God reaffirms his love for them during this season. Loving your neighbor this week might be as simple as asking good questions, engaging them in conversation, being careful with your words and affirming your love for them in a tough season.

3. Remember that some are rejoicing around you.

Holiday seasons bring out many joys in our friends and family. Many people around you this week will be rejoicing at God’s provision and grace in their lives. Many will be rejoicing about without even being aware of the grace of God. They might be excited about something you don’t know anything about. Loving your neighbor means taking the time to find out what’s going and rejoicing alongside of them.

Simply asking questions about what excites them and seeking to learn more about their lives can be a simple way of loving your neighbor and being present with them. You might even get an opportunity to speak of where true joy and everlasting peace comes from as you interact.

4. Remember that you are called to be present with those around you.

The ministry of presence is not an easy task, but it’s a worthy task for the people of God. This holiday season, we’re each given a gift of being around those who are made in the image of God. We should take advantage of every moment we have together. We need to remember that our presence will look different with all people because each person we’ll encounter is a person made in God’s image, and many will have a mix of emotions and circumstances. By being there, you can point them to the One who gives hope, comfort for the weary and lasting joy. This might be the first—or one–hundredth—step to developing a deeper relationship with whoever God has put in your life.

Regardless of where you find yourself today and throughout this season, remember the first and second greatest commandments from our Lord. You are to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and mind. And you are to love your neighbors as yourself by being present with them, despite the desire to avoid conflict, difficulty or sheer discomfort. This task is great, but the Lord has give you his Spirit and will provide the means for you to be his ambassador as you love those around you.

Jason Thacker

Jason Thacker serves as senior fellow focusing on Christian ethics, human dignity, public theology, and technology. He also leads the ERLC Research Institute. In addition to his work at the ERLC, he serves as assistant professor of philosophy and ethics at Boyce College in Louisville Kentucky. He is the author … Read More

Article 12: The Future of AI

We affirm that AI will continue to be developed in ways that we cannot currently imagine or understand, including AI that will far surpass many human abilities. God alone has the power to create life, and no future advancements in AI will usurp Him as the Creator of life. The church has a unique role in proclaiming human dignity for all and calling for the humane use of AI in all aspects of society.

We deny that AI will make us more or less human, or that AI will ever obtain a coequal level of worth, dignity, or value to image-bearers. Future advancements in AI will not ultimately fulfill our longings for a perfect world. While we are not able to comprehend or know the future, we do not fear what is to come because we know that God is omniscient and that nothing we create will be able to thwart His redemptive plan for creation or to supplant humanity as His image-bearers.

Genesis 1; Isaiah 42:8; Romans 1:20-21; 5:2; Ephesians 1:4-6; 2 Timothy 1:7-9; Revelation 5:9-10

Article 11: Public Policy

We affirm that the fundamental purposes of government are to protect human beings from harm, punish those who do evil, uphold civil liberties, and to commend those who do good. The public has a role in shaping and crafting policies concerning the use of AI in society, and these decisions should not be left to those who develop these technologies or to governments to set norms.

We deny that AI should be used by governments, corporations, or any entity to infringe upon God-given human rights. AI, even in a highly advanced state, should never be delegated the governing authority that has been granted by an all-sovereign God to human beings alone. 

Romans 13:1-7; Acts 10:35; 1 Peter 2:13-14

Article 10: War

We affirm that the use of AI in warfare should be governed by love of neighbor and the principles of just war. The use of AI may mitigate the loss of human life, provide greater protection of non-combatants, and inform better policymaking. Any lethal action conducted or substantially enabled by AI must employ 5 human oversight or review. All defense-related AI applications, such as underlying data and decision-making processes, must be subject to continual review by legitimate authorities. When these systems are deployed, human agents bear full moral responsibility for any actions taken by the system.

We deny that human agency or moral culpability in war can be delegated to AI. No nation or group has the right to use AI to carry out genocide, terrorism, torture, or other war crimes.

Genesis 4:10; Isaiah 1:16-17; Psalm 37:28; Matthew 5:44; 22:37-39; Romans 13:4

Article 9: Security

We affirm that AI has legitimate applications in policing, intelligence, surveillance, investigation, and other uses supporting the government’s responsibility to respect human rights, to protect and preserve human life, and to pursue justice in a flourishing society.

We deny that AI should be employed for safety and security applications in ways that seek to dehumanize, depersonalize, or harm our fellow human beings. We condemn the use of AI to suppress free expression or other basic human rights granted by God to all human beings.

Romans 13:1-7; 1 Peter 2:13-14

Article 8: Data & Privacy

We affirm that privacy and personal property are intertwined individual rights and choices that should not be violated by governments, corporations, nation-states, and other groups, even in the pursuit of the common good. While God knows all things, it is neither wise nor obligatory to have every detail of one’s life open to society.

We deny the manipulative and coercive uses of data and AI in ways that are inconsistent with the love of God and love of neighbor. Data collection practices should conform to ethical guidelines that uphold the dignity of all people. We further deny that consent, even informed consent, although requisite, is the only necessary ethical standard for the collection, manipulation, or exploitation of personal data—individually or in the aggregate. AI should not be employed in ways that distort truth through the use of generative applications. Data should not be mishandled, misused, or abused for sinful purposes to reinforce bias, strengthen the powerful, or demean the weak.

Exodus 20:15, Psalm 147:5; Isaiah 40:13-14; Matthew 10:16 Galatians 6:2; Hebrews 4:12-13; 1 John 1:7 

Article 7: Work

We affirm that work is part of God’s plan for human beings participating in the cultivation and stewardship of creation. The divine pattern is one of labor and rest in healthy proportion to each other. Our view of work should not be confined to commercial activity; it must also include the many ways that human beings serve each other through their efforts. AI can be used in ways that aid our work or allow us to make fuller use of our gifts. The church has a Spirit-empowered responsibility to help care for those who lose jobs and to encourage individuals, communities, employers, and governments to find ways to invest in the development of human beings and continue making vocational contributions to our lives together.

We deny that human worth and dignity is reducible to an individual’s economic contributions to society alone. Humanity should not use AI and other technological innovations as a reason to move toward lives of pure leisure even if greater social wealth creates such possibilities.

Genesis 1:27; 2:5; 2:15; Isaiah 65:21-24; Romans 12:6-8; Ephesians 4:11-16

Article 6: Sexuality

We affirm the goodness of God’s design for human sexuality which prescribes the sexual union to be an exclusive relationship between a man and a woman in the lifelong covenant of marriage.

We deny that the pursuit of sexual pleasure is a justification for the development or use of AI, and we condemn the objectification of humans that results from employing AI for sexual purposes. AI should not intrude upon or substitute for the biblical expression of sexuality between a husband and wife according to God’s design for human marriage.

Genesis 1:26-29; 2:18-25; Matthew 5:27-30; 1 Thess 4:3-4

Article 5: Bias

We affirm that, as a tool created by humans, AI will be inherently subject to bias and that these biases must be accounted for, minimized, or removed through continual human oversight and discretion. AI should be designed and used in such ways that treat all human beings as having equal worth and dignity. AI should be utilized as a tool to identify and eliminate bias inherent in human decision-making.

We deny that AI should be designed or used in ways that violate the fundamental principle of human dignity for all people. Neither should AI be used in ways that reinforce or further any ideology or agenda, seeking to subjugate human autonomy under the power of the state.

Micah 6:8; John 13:34; Galatians 3:28-29; 5:13-14; Philippians 2:3-4; Romans 12:10

Article 4: Medicine

We affirm that AI-related advances in medical technologies are expressions of God’s common grace through and for people created in His image and that these advances will increase our capacity to provide enhanced medical diagnostics and therapeutic interventions as we seek to care for all people. These advances should be guided by basic principles of medical ethics, including beneficence, non-maleficence, autonomy, and justice, which are all consistent with the biblical principle of loving our neighbor.

We deny that death and disease—effects of the Fall—can ultimately be eradicated apart from Jesus Christ. Utilitarian applications regarding healthcare distribution should not override the dignity of human life. Fur- 3 thermore, we reject the materialist and consequentialist worldview that understands medical applications of AI as a means of improving, changing, or completing human beings.

Matthew 5:45; John 11:25-26; 1 Corinthians 15:55-57; Galatians 6:2; Philippians 2:4

Article 3: Relationship of AI & Humanity

We affirm the use of AI to inform and aid human reasoning and moral decision-making because it is a tool that excels at processing data and making determinations, which often mimics or exceeds human ability. While AI excels in data-based computation, technology is incapable of possessing the capacity for moral agency or responsibility.

We deny that humans can or should cede our moral accountability or responsibilities to any form of AI that will ever be created. Only humanity will be judged by God on the basis of our actions and that of the tools we create. While technology can be created with a moral use in view, it is not a moral agent. Humans alone bear the responsibility for moral decision making.

Romans 2:6-8; Galatians 5:19-21; 2 Peter 1:5-8; 1 John 2:1

Article 2: AI as Technology

We affirm that the development of AI is a demonstration of the unique creative abilities of human beings. When AI is employed in accordance with God’s moral will, it is an example of man’s obedience to the divine command to steward creation and to honor Him. We believe in innovation for the glory of God, the sake of human flourishing, and the love of neighbor. While we acknowledge the reality of the Fall and its consequences on human nature and human innovation, technology can be used in society to uphold human dignity. As a part of our God-given creative nature, human beings should develop and harness technology in ways that lead to greater flourishing and the alleviation of human suffering.

We deny that the use of AI is morally neutral. It is not worthy of man’s hope, worship, or love. Since the Lord Jesus alone can atone for sin and reconcile humanity to its Creator, technology such as AI cannot fulfill humanity’s ultimate needs. We further deny the goodness and benefit of any application of AI that devalues or degrades the dignity and worth of another human being. 

Genesis 2:25; Exodus 20:3; 31:1-11; Proverbs 16:4; Matthew 22:37-40; Romans 3:23

Article 1: Image of God

We affirm that God created each human being in His image with intrinsic and equal worth, dignity, and moral agency, distinct from all creation, and that humanity’s creativity is intended to reflect God’s creative pattern.

We deny that any part of creation, including any form of technology, should ever be used to usurp or subvert the dominion and stewardship which has been entrusted solely to humanity by God; nor should technology be assigned a level of human identity, worth, dignity, or moral agency.

Genesis 1:26-28; 5:1-2; Isaiah 43:6-7; Jeremiah 1:5; John 13:34; Colossians 1:16; 3:10; Ephesians 4:24