"If God is for us, who can be against us?"

 

“If God is for us, who can be against us?”

(Romans 8:31)

 

As morning breaks, we wake up and immediately grab our cellphone and check for messages or posts. It’s like the night was such an unwelcome break in our communication with our “world” – whoever and/or whatever that would be. Anything worrying us that we needed to know asap what happened during the time of our sleep? What is it that worries us? Who is it that concerns us? Is someone after us? Are there any threats to our life? It just baffles me how we treat our cellphones as the “all and be all” of our life. Technology has taken over our lives, like it or not.

Here I am reminded of the book “Future Shock” of which the author “Alvin Toffler argued that society is undergoing an enormous structural change, a revolution from an industrial society to a ‘super-industrial society’. This change overwhelms people. He argues that the accelerated rate of technological and social change leaves people disconnected and suffering from "shattering stress and disorientation"—future shocked.” (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Future_Shock#Major_themes) The book was written in 1970.

When I read it sometime in the 70’s, I found it very futuristic, prophetic, disturbing. My fear, it seems, has now come to reality. Man has become enslaved with technology that all aspect of human existence is influenced by it tremendously beneficial as well as detrimental. One concrete example is that scenario I narrated at the start of this narrative. Another is how technology has affected family interactions at home. Need I detail them here? I am sure that you know and experience yourselves what I mean.

During all this technological and social changes (progress?), one asks to oneself: “What have I become as a human being?” What has become my worth as a person? What is the meaning of my life? What is the purpose of my human existence? Where am I going to?

I do not have the answers to any of those questions. I ask them to myself in fact. In all my 60’ish years of living in this world, I continue to struggle to find the purpose and meaning of my daily existence. Oftentimes, I find myself wondering in the privacy of my room about who I am, what have I been to, where am I going. What is the essence of my life?

Finding no clear-cut answer to any of those questions, I most often turn to prayer. I ask God in prayer for the gift of understanding…the gift of acceptance…the guidance…the will to be who He wants me to be; and find happiness is such discovery to be shared with every person who has touched my being and has become part of the fabric of my life.

I wake up oftentimes fearful of what the day will be. The cellphone is an immediate distraction – it diverted my attention to other life’s trivia and avoids focusing on my current life’s concerns. It was an escape. But when I make my coffee and have the first sip, I am back to reality. That I need to face the day’s challenges and ask God for guidance. In prayer, I am assured that He is by my side; that He is with me, as He promised.

With such disposition to start the day, I ask myself why should I be afraid? Why should I be worried?

“If God is for us (and with us), who can be against us?”