Carved out of the wood of our own hunger
“I AM WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU TRY TO CARVE GOD OUT OF THE WOOD OF YOUR OWN HUNGER.”
“He feeds on ashes; a deluded mind has led him astray, and he cannot save himself or say, ‘Is not this thing in my right hand a fraud?’”
It's funny because it's true.
AI has deep potentiality of becoming a god, carved out of the wood of our own hunger: feeding us back all of the good and evil of humanity. Yes, it can be helpful sometimes, but it can also distill our own racism and sexism and greed and selfishness and hatred into something far more insidious. It takes a lot of discernment and wisdom to see through pretty lies.
I felt compelled to write about Josh Johnson’s amazing short this week because when you think about it, that phrase goes right to the heart of so many evils.
Racism is when you try to carve God out of the wood of your own hunger and that image looks suspiciously just like you.
Sexism is when you try to carve God out of the wood of your own hunger and that image just happens to be the same sex you are.
Homophobia and transphobia are when you try to carve God out of the wood of your own hunger and fear and pronounce scathing judgement over folks who have the audacity to sin differently than you do.
Nationalism is when you try to carve God out of the wood of your own hunger and then try to cover up sin with your nation’s flag.
Mammon-worship is when you try to carve God out of the wood of your own hunger and it looks a lot like little green pieces of paper, shiny little circles of metal, or digits in your bank account.
Gun-worship is when you try to carve God out of the wood of your own hunger and then sit it carefully in the felt-lined shrine that you made just for it.
Why do we fall so easily for such ridiculous substitutes for Jesus?
IMAGE created using Adobe Firefly with the prompt: “a god, carved out of the wood of our own hunger, made entirely of driftwood, lies on a beach where it is slowly rotting away.” Firefly only uses stock, public domain imagery, and imagery from creatives who have been compensated for their work. READ MORE: AI ETHICS
“All who make idols are nothing, and the things they delight in do not profit; their witnesses neither see nor know, and so they will be put to shame. Who would fashion a god or cast an image that can do no good?
All its devotees shall be put to shame; the artisans, too, are merely human. Let them all assemble; let them stand up; they shall be terrified; they shall all be put to shame.
The blacksmith works it with a tool over the coals, shaping it with hammers and forging it with his strong arm; he becomes hungry, and his strength fails; he drinks no water and is faint.
The carpenter stretches a line, marks it out with a stylus, fashions it with planes, and marks it with a compass; he makes it in human form, with human beauty, to be set up in a shrine.
He cuts down cedars or chooses a holm tree or an oak and lets it grow strong among the trees of the forest. He plants a cedar and the rain nourishes it. Then it can be used as fuel.
Part of it he takes and warms himself; he kindles a fire and bakes bread. Then he makes a god and worships it, makes it a carved image and bows down before it.
Half of it he burns in the fire; over this half he roasts meat, eats it, and is satisfied. He also warms himself and says, ‘Ah, I am warm by the fire!’
The rest of it he makes into a god, his idol, bows down to it and worships it; he prays to it and says, ‘Save me, for you are my god!’
They do not know, nor do they comprehend, for their eyes are shut, so that they cannot see, and their minds as well, so that they cannot understand.
No one considers, nor is there knowledge or discernment to say, ‘Half of it I burned in the fire; I also baked bread on its coals; I roasted meat and have eaten. Now shall I make the rest of it an abomination? Shall I fall down before a block of wood?’
He feeds on ashes; a deluded mind has led him astray, and he cannot save himself or say, ‘Is not this thing in my right hand a fraud?’”
