I've been reading a book called Technology vs Humanity. It's all about how technology is transforming our world with "exponential and all-encompassing technological change" and where we, as humans, fit into that. Technology is surging ahead to bring us previously unimaginable software and systems and solutions and the way we do many things will never be the same. Discoveries in this field will change the way we view some things and and change the way that we operate and go about our business, but that’s as far as it goes.
The most important part of this world (i.e. humanity) remains unchanged.
Yes, ideas and outlooks will change, business strategies and our daily routines will look different, but the person who is carrying out those actions never changes more than superficially. It never penetrates deeper than the "doing" and it neglects the core, the "being".
In order for a revolution to truly change the world it must change the very nature of the world.
To change the world, hearts must be changed.
The living, beating heart of this world, placed at the very center of the system by the Creator, is humanity and human nature. To see the world change, we need to do more than simply modify the mechanical functions of the world’s operating system by changing how we do things.
Sure, I completely agree that there is a laundry list of things in this world that need to be done differently. Reading the news over the past year just brings horrified chills and a deep disappointment in our actions as a human race. But even if we were to somehow bring about a miraculous change in everyone's actions to be nice and kind, it wouldn't last. If only the surface level actions are changed, the relentless, deadly cycle of hatred, fear and pride would inevitably rear its ugly head yet again.
Change needs to delve deeper—beyond a catchy slogan posted on an Instagram story, beyond a popular kindness movement, beyond a rah-rah speech that gets us motivated for a little while—into the real flesh and blood of the world’s substance: the heart.
This is where we see the beauty and power of the gospel.
The Gospel of Jesus is the only thing that does more than change the way humanity operates, but changes humanity itself. History repeats itself because humanity hasn’t changed. "What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun." Humans are still selfish, still terrified, still angry, still hopeless, still sinful.
But when the genuinely life-changing power of God enters our space, it’s the spirit, the soul, the heart of the world that changes. And when the inner man—motives, attitude, mindset—changes, more than just the surface-level actions are transformed.
Our world is crumbling in hopelessness and despair. There is only one thing that brings hope.
Humanity is running around like headless chickens trying to find pleasure and meaning in a wildly confusing existence. There is only one thing that will bring purpose.
One thing that goes so much deeper than the inconsequential, superficial, perishing surface stuff and brings life and true transformation to the dying, searching, desperate people.
The Gospel of Jesus is the only thing that will ever truly change this world, because it does more than just alter our daily routines or our way of thinking, but it whole-scale changes the nature of how the world operates, from the inside out.
It changes art and literature, it changes science and technology, it changes music and social media, and it changes our future because it changes the actual people behind all these things.
And as Taylor Swift said:
"These things will change
Can you feel it now?
These walls that they put up to hold us back will fall down
It's a revolution, the time will come
For us to finally win
And we'll sing hallelujah, we'll sing hallelujah"
When the Gospel changes a person, fear, selfishness, hatred and pride are no longer the driving forces behind change, but it’s the love and power of the Creator to bring His beloved Creation back to its original purpose: fellowship with the One, True God.
Now that's some real change worth singing hallelujah for.
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