How pygmies become giants

Isaac Asimov, professor of biochemistry and prolific author of science fiction, concluded that, "The saddest aspect of life right now is that science gathers knowledge faster than society gathers wisdom.” And who can deny the rapidity with which technology is changing the face of contemporary life. Not long ago I attended a church where the rather flamboyant young minister excitedly delivered his sermon with the help of an electronic tablet carefully disguised as a leather-bound bible. My fear during the entire sermon was that the text might strangely disappear and the minister would have to pause and reboot. I don't know, but perhaps there already are churches in America where you can download the sermon, make your donation by electronic transfer, and fellowship with other members via Facebook. I can see it now, plastered across the stained-glass window – "No tweeting during the sermon!" Tom Lantos (of the House Foreign Affairs Committee) was absolutely right when he characterized his opposition as "technological giants" yet, unfortunately, "moral pygmies.” There may not be a cause and effect relationship, but advance in one area seems to be accompanied by a decline in the other.
       Why is it that the mind of man embraces the unknown and can hardly wait to take on the next intellectual challenge, while the heart of man seems to resist every attempt to redirect it away from moral improvement? It is exciting to learn what technology has in store for us, but boring to think about how we could conduct our lives better. What will be, trumps what should be? Why is that? For me, the answer seems to be rather clear. But then, I've chosen to approach all of life from a biblical point of view and that clarifies issues. My basic presupposition is that God exists. The materialistic approach narrows reality to what can be verified by the limited methods of science. The idea that nothing exists outside the material is itself an assumption, not provable by definition. So I am not in the least embarrassed by any supposed inferiority of matters that lie outside the realm of what science can verify.
       So, the widely accepted observation that man, morally speaking, is more a pygmy than a giant is consistent with the biblical teaching of his nature. Made in the image of God but victimized by a decision to go his own way explains why technological advance is not necessarily accompanied by ethical growth. The former deals with the mind and the latter with the heart. For man to survive does not depend on his intellectual brilliance, but upon his willingness to do the right thing. What is required is a renewal of the heart and this calls for the supernatural work of God. Scripture uses a very simple term to describe this remarkable change – it is a "new birth.” The only answer for the universal rush toward annihilation is moral regeneration. That alone is God's answer for the giant-pigmy problem.