Convergence (in everyday life).

I am in a class that discusses the implications of new technology. Lately, we’ve been having the artificial intelligence debate, which always boils down to the question: what is consciousness?

This week, in another class, we are discussing the language of religion. One of the articles suggests that we can’t REALLY talk about God because our terms are too limited.

I was chatting with my Dad on Sunday night and he told me about a chapter on consciousness that he recently read in Lee Strobel’s Case for a Creator. So I went home and read it.

And then it all came together.

[sidebar: sorry if this here blog-business is beginning to become a bit of a book review. I’m so well indoctrinated to academia: I think in sources and citations.]

Strobel is interviewing a philosopher, J. P. Moreland. Strobel states that “the soul and the consciousness are invisible, [which] makes it difficult to conceptualize them” and Moreland responds with a story.

My soul and my consciousness are invisible, though my body is visible...I remember the time when my daughter was in the fifth grade and we were having family prayers.

She said, “Dad, if I could see God it would help me believe in him."

I said, “Well, honey, the problem isn’t that you’ve never seen God. The problem is that you’ve never seen your mother.”

And her mother was sitting right next to her!

My daughter said, "What do you mean, Dad?"

I said, "Suppose, without hurting your mom, we were able to take her apart cell by cell and peek inside each one of them. We would never come to a moment where we would say, ‘Look – here’s what Mommy’s thinking about doing the rest of the day’ or ‘Hey, this cell contains Mommy’s feelings’ or ‘So this is what Mom believes about pro football.’ We couldn’t find Mommy’s thoughts, beliefs, desires, or her feelings.

Guess what else we would never find? We’d never find Mommy’s ego or her self. We would never say, ‘Finally, in this particular brain cell, there’s Mommy. There’s her ego, or self.’ That’s because Mommy is a person, and persons are invisible. Mommy’s ego and her conscious life are invisible. Now she’s small enough to have a body, while God is too big to have a body – so let’s pray."

Which alluded to BOTH discussions.

And then I started thinking about Philippians 2:5-8...

Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross!

Jesus CHOSE to take on a body and all the limitations and problems that a body entails. And for that, I am very thankful.

Which seems highly appropriate considering that Easter is quickly approaching.

Speaking of Easter, I recently recieved an email about a worship/reflection night that YWAM is holding for the public…

We will be starting the evening with a viewing of "The Passion of the Christ" to better prepare our hearts and to remember all that God has done for us in bringing us Salvation through Jesus. Following this movie we will enter into musical worship together, reflecting on the depth of the sacrifice. During this worship time we will also be taking communion together. At midnight our focus will change to Resurrection which will be a time of celebration. This will include snacks and remixed worship songs by DJ Dred.

Date: Saturday, April 15

Time: 8pm

Location: YWAM Vancouver Office, 2859 Commercial Drive (just a couple blocks south of Broadway)

And God said, "I'll show you a thing or two about convergence..."