Today's Daily Lesson comes from Psalm 101 verse 3a:
"I will set no worthless thing before my eyes."
I don't know about the wisdom of a devotional about the harmful effects of technology and social media whose readership is 100% comprised of people using technology and social media. Nevertheless, I think it's true; technology and social media are wonderful but they can also suck us, rewire our brains, and absorb our days. In other words, they can become all-demanding gods.
If sociologists from another planet were to come and observe earthlings in the 21st century, they would note how much time we spend on our phones and computers. In their report they would conclude that we are a very religious people and in their interviews with us what we say would confirm that. "We take our religion very serious." And then, in the report the sociologists would describe our religion: how much time and energy we "devote" to gods called Apple and iPhone. We are so devoted to these gods, they would conclude, that we're even willing to give up everything else: our relationships with nature, and neighbors, and family. How religious we are.
"I will set no worthless thing before me," the Psalmist says. There's a lot of good stuff on social media. But there's also a lot of worthless consumption -- hours and hours of it. It can take over our whole lives.
It really can be a religion -- a bad religion.
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