Algorithms for the Profound

You probably have experienced something like this. You're on the internet reading an article or watching a video about a weighty subject or something that is dear to you. Part-way through you're interrupted by an advertisement for something utterly unrelated or absurdly contrasting. One instance stands out to me. A few years ago, I went to CNN to see a news report on a school shooting and just before the video played, an upbeat advertisement for some product like toothpaste played (I don't remember the exact product). It made me want to actively avoid that product for a time. A similar effect can be achieved by scrolling through a social media feed.

I got to thinking about this as, recently, I was pointed to a video of a beautiful song, All Glory Be to Christ. It uses Auld Lang Syne as the tune so I suppose the various recordings of it are having a surge in views on YouTube now. As I was watching, I looked on the right side of the browser to see what other videos were recommended. The first was another cover of the same song. The second was the movie Spaceballs by Mel Brooks (to watch free with ads).

There's a time and a place for humor, but that wasn't it. It was mentally jarring to have some of the crude humor from that movie pop into my head from memory while trying to listen to a song intended for the worship and praise of God. It made me regret seeing that movie previously, considering the contrast in subject matter. I would rather have been ignorant than have those clashing thoughts in my mind.

We could talk about how the algorithms (that is the data and logic used by computers to make decisions) that recommend more content to us are still fairly dumb. We could talk about the ad supported nature of the internet. We could talk about my attention span that wandered over to the other recommended videos. We could talk about how this mix of content with ads reflects postmodernist thinking - to see no problem with putting an ad for shampoo next to a news report on a tragic earthquake. For the moment, I want to consider why these things are jarring. 

I think it is because each of us has a sense that some subjects are different, set apart in a way. We may describe that content or subject as weighty, serious, or heavy. These may be great tragedies with great harm or loss of life, or even a personal loss of a loved one. That kind of content may also be what we call profound or sacred. It may be some deep and abiding truth. We might use the word holy.

For me, one such thing is my faith in God and all that goes with it. In Christian worship, we don't interrupt a worship service for ads or with recommendations for crude entertainment. It would be jarring if someone came in to our church dressed as a clown and walked around the sanctuary juggling bowling pins and advertising fast food while the congregation is reciting the Apostle's Creed. In the physical space of a church building, we can generally prevent this. However, when we consider our experience online, our technologies don't support the separation of these things. They don't actively help us separate those weighty, sober, holy things from the neutral or crass and crude. YouTube's algorithm doesn't recognize that difference, as seen in my recent case, nor did CNN's ad services recognize it. 

But, we need this separation. We are far too good at distracting ourselves with our digital toys. One more video, one more round, one more post, one more etc. We always have been good at distraction, but we're getting attention addiction down to a science. It is also much easier to passively watch some entertainment than engage yourself with beautiful and hard truths like God, sin, death, beauty, love, justice, and mercy. But we must. Our lives are short and we will be judged before God. We experience pain, death of loved ones, and the balm of kindness. We need these in our lives and to understand them.

I have little hope that the major tech companies like Google will see this as a need and attempt to tune their algorithms around separating the crass, the ordinary, and the sober or sacred. Nor do I expect we will get an option to limit our digital content to the sacred/profound when we wish. (I don't see how that would make them more money.) Thus, we are on our own. Be thoughtful about this. Don't fall into thinking it is normal for a beautiful truth or a profound tragedy to be put next to an ad for aftershave. Use our digital tools wisely, knowing they won't help you here. Curate your feed of content. And perhaps let your digital experience go for a time if needed.

And if you happen to work for YouTube/Google/Amazon/etc., please take this as a feature request.

Image source: https://pixabay.com/vectors/anatomy-biology-brain-thought-mind-1751201/

Expectations vs Reality

About once or twice a month, I lead the first portion of the worship service at Redeemer Church. One part of this is the Prayer for our Needs. We pray for the folks in our church both generally and specifically, for our community, ministries, and more. This past Sunday, I included in this prayer a portion on our expectations for the Christmas gatherings and celebrations coming up. We live in a world under the curse, so it shouldn't surprise us when our gatherings of family and friends fall short of what we expected them to be. 

In all these times of getting together we may have accidents, such as knocking over the gravy boat, or we may have strained relationships with individuals we will see. Both of these are hard and try our patience. Also, we may have a bit of melancholy as we look around and think of individuals who have died or are not able to be with us.

Well, sometimes these prayers during worship are needed most by the person that prays them. This week, we came back to Sylva from visiting family and Kristy came down very sick at her stomach. No one wants that kind of reality to intrude when we have a few days at home before going to another Christmas gathering. These were supposed to be a few relaxing days at the house, plus a little last-minute shopping and preparation. This turned in to laundry, dad alone doing the final shopping and wrapping (scary), sleeping in the "guest room" (a.k.a. Lydia's spare bed), making tea and toast, etc. We had to give up on making a trifle to take to the family gathering when I saw the preparation of it was anything but trifling.

I can say that all the presents are purchased and physically here. Their wrapping may be a bit... asymmetrical but they are covered and very likely labeled correctly. Kristy is on the mend and we'll get to the gathering eventually. 

I share all this for a few reasons. First, don't think your pastors or elders are above sin. My attitude was mostly good, but certainly not perfect about all this. I so easily grow weary in serving others. I admit my own disappointment and anger over this change in circumstances. Second, this is a reminder that we'll all find expectations unmet sometime this month, and probably this very day. I encourage you to do your best to love and serve others and look for what is good and encouraging when your circumstances change.

Third, for my brothers and sisters in Christ, there is an event, a gathering one day that will exceed all our expectations. 

And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” - Revelation 21:3-4

Our brother, Jesus, will return one day to make all things new. No more death, mourning, crying, or pain. Forever. No more strained relationships. No more stomach bugs. I don't know if we'll be able accidentally spill the gravy boat, but it won't result in disaster and anger. And we will have the presence of our heavenly father with us. So, I encourage you to plod away today. Do your best to look back and celebrate the incarnation of Jesus, but also look ahead with hope to his coming again.

Image source: https://www.pexels.com/photo/food-summer-office-garden-6518667/

Beauty and Frustration

 

For about a year now, I've been trying to learn how to play the guitar. I read a while ago that performing music activates multiple parts of the brain simultaneously and could stave off things like dementia. That, plus I've been interested in learning to play for some time. The pandemic finally gave me opportunity to try it seriously. I don't take real lessons; instead I've been learning from an app/online service called Justin Guitar (which I recommend). The great thing about learning from an app and online videos is that I can go at my own pace. The bad thing about it is I go at my own pace. I'm not pushed by someone else to get better - I have to rely on my intrinsic motivation to persevere even when my fingers hurt or I feel like I'm not making progress.

After about a year, I have learned a few chords and can sort-of strum. I can't switch chords very fast and I don't know any songs. It is frustrating to try to keep doing the drills to get the physical skills down and not just play something. Still, I have to admit that I have made progress and a year ago I couldn't do what I can now.

I wanted a break from the drills, so I decided to try to learn to play an actual song. After searching around and considering it is close to Christmas (according to all the local stores anyway), I decided to learn Joy to the World.  It's been a favorite hymn and carol and, more importantly, I know all the chords for the version I found. 

This week, I made my first attempt. Now, this is the first time I've tried to play a real song AND sing along. Put simply, I stank. I may have some ability with individual skills but I struggled terribly to put it all together. I kept at it and got a little better, but ugh. No recording exists, and for good reason.

At the end of my attempts, I was dejected. I've been trying to learn this instrument for some time and it is frustrating that I seem to have so little to show. On a deeper level, I was a bit ashamed. Joy to the World, though sung at Christmas, is about the second coming of Jesus. He comes as the king (verse 1), sin is no more and the curse is undone (verse 3), and he rules the nations (verse 4). Simply, I'm a Christian and want to sing to my God of this blessed day to come. I believed I failed badly. It was frustrating to not be able to praise God well in this way.

However, I had forgotten two things. First, all our deeds, no matter how good or skillful or directed to God's glory, are like filthy rags before God. Our weak attempts at goodness and beauty can never measure up to the true perfection, righteousness, holiness, and glory of God and give him the praise he deserves. Second, God accepts our attempts at giving him glory. In the very same song I was trying to play, I was supposed to remember the "glories of his righteousness" and the "wonders of his love." If Jesus loves me, was willing to die for me, and to take on the judgment for my sins, if he accepts the two small coins of the widow, then surely he would welcome my poor attempt at singing his praise. My shame was misplaced.

So, I will keep trying to build my skill and get better. Not to gain coolness - there's no hope for that for me. I'm a middle-aged dad who drives a minivan and wears pleated khakis to work. But perhaps I can be a bit better at what I want to do: praise my savior. 

I hope this encourages you in your own plodding. Try and plod well at tasks that are good and for God's glory.

 

 

Image source: https://pixabay.com/photos/guitar-guitarist-music-756326/

The Mix of Life

Yesterday morning I had an interesting confluence of two things. I was driving to work on my massive ten minute commute. One of the great things about working at WCU is the drive. It's always the same road, Highway 107, but you never know what the scenery will be. You go up some in elevation and through Catamount Gap, a place blasted through the side of a mountain years ago to make a way for the road. There's a curve there where you can't see far ahead with rock walls on both sides. But then you come through and see the Cullowhee valley below you and many of the buildings of main campus with the mountains behind them. It's a beautiful sight.  In the spring you may have wildflowers. In the summer you get clear blue sky and many layers of mountain views. In the fall you get the quilt of many colors covering the hills. In the winter you may see a dusting of snow and icicles covering the walls of rock. Sometimes, you come through the gap and can barely see the trees lining the road for the fog.

This morning, it was a gorgeous sight. I came through the gap and it was a bright and clear morning. There was a layer of bright white cloud just high enough to see the campus but low enough to still see the tops of the nearby mountains. My heart praised God for the beauty of what he has made in this place and allowing me to see it. 

But then, I looked over on the side of the road. There was a dead racoon. Very stiff, and (pardon the image) not quite all in one piece. Thankfully I had the windows rolled up and the fan off but the memory of smells from similar encounters came to mind vividly. It was a ugly, disgusting sight and I was glad it was over quickly. 

Life is this way. We sometimes get bursts of beauty, goodness, and truth. We get a small glimpse at the how-it-should-be world, a world without the curse of sin and death. We give and receive kindness and grace. We experience the beauty of holiness. We share good meals and hearty laughter with friends and family.

But sometimes not. Sometimes we get the mundane of aligning spreadsheet columns, sweeping the same floors, patching the same clothes. We must try again to fix the leak in the roof. And sometimes we must face the ugliness of death. The beeping machines, endless pills, people coming and going in a blur. 

And sometimes we have both of those at the same time. When a saint is dying, there is the ugliness of the body giving way, but there is often the beauty of love, care, and community. Even more, there is hope for the beauty, goodness, and truth of the world that is to come. 

We see it in small things also. Last night I spent two hours replacing a broken part in my refrigerator. It was frustrating to have a fridge that didn't work correctly, and then to contort myself to get at some of the screws, plus having to figure out (with lots of help from YouTube and a friend) how to go about replacing it. But, I managed and I (hopefully) now have a working fridge again!

Let me encourage you in this. Be glad for those times of beauty, goodness, and truth. They are from the Lord and his kindness and grace. They show his power, wisdom, beauty, and love for us. We rightly revel in them.

But those times of the mundane, sorrow, pain, and death are also ours. They remind us of our sin and that we are truly but dust. The Lord's curse and judgment are heavy, because our sin is a heavy, deadly thing. Be reminded to cry out for the Lord's mercy. He is slow to anger and will hear you. We might pray like the writer of Psalm 90:

¹² So teach us to number our days
    that we may get a heart of wisdom.
¹³ Return, O Lord! How long?
    Have pity on your servants!
¹⁴ Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love,
    that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.
¹⁵ Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us,
    and for as many years as we have seen evil.

Image Source: Photo by Richard Wilson from Pexels

Overcome Evil With Good

We all saw the news of the pro-Trump protesters that overran the capital building yesterday. We’ve also seen the anger and strife of the past year over many political and social issues. I won’t try to enumerate all the sin and evil we’ve seen, which has come from all sides that people take. 

Instead, I've been thinking about what does a Christian do in times of strife and evil? Essentially, we do what we are always called to do: love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and love our neighbor as ourselves. That second one is hard when a neighbor is on the opposite side of an issue from you. But just because it is hard doesn't mean it isn't the right thing to do.

The Apostle Paul suffered much as he went on his missionary journeys, recounted in Acts and some of his epistles. Sometimes he used his Roman citizenship to call to account those persecuting them. So we can't say that his love for his neighbor meant rolling over and not seeking justice. However, let's hear what he has to say, speaking to ancient Christians (and us) about living as a Christian in ancient, pagan Rome (and now).

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord." To the contrary, "if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head." Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. - Romans 12:14-21 (emphasis mine)

To my brothers and sisters in Christ: we cannot overcome evil with evil, sinful means. We overcome evil with good. Paul used his Roman citizenship to pursue justice, but that is different from vengeance - actively seeking to harm someone else for a wrong done to you. I urge you, and myself, to consider  how to actively do good, even to those individuals that hate you, to overcome evil.

Image source: https://www.pexels.com/photo/action-adult-affection-eldery-339620/