This Friday, as has been drilled into every technology lover’s head, Apple’s iPhone will be released to an eagerly awaiting public. Now, I have no clue whether it is going to live up to the hype currently being generated for it, but the iPhone IS a great glimpse into our obsession with gadgets.
It is amazing to me that so many column inches have been devoted to this thing, and that so many people expect it to be the be all and end all of cell phones. The interesting part is that I see that push for satisfaction in this thing. It is a microcosm of our larger cultural movement to find satisfaction in material things. Have you ever seen someone take out their latest gadget, following by the drooling of all his friends? This type of culture promotes covetousness, a sense of pride (I’m better than you, I have an iPhone!), and ultimately, cannot satisfy. I find it sad how many people seemingly derrive their ultimate joy from a gadget, or a gadget company such as Apple.
Of course, I tend to fall into the same trap. My tendency is to worship at the altar of the Gadget, the newest technology thing. I have to admit, I’d love an iPhone myself. I’d get one if they were less expensive. However, I have to guard against the tendency of my heart to worship my stuff, particularly my gadgets. It is helpful to remember that it is all going to burn anyway – this world and all its stuff – and that putting too much time and energy into accumulating things is going to leave us empty and regretful. Material possessions cannot satisfy, cannot deliver me from sin, and cannot provide the kind of deep, lasting relationship God provides. I should spend much more time in studying God than I spend looking at the latest cool tech toy.
