READ | SERMON NOTES
SUMMARY l In a rapidly changing world, the use of Artificial Intelligence (‘AI’) is common. It is no longer a novelty, but our use of technology must never outpace our theology. What it means to be human before God matters more than the ways we use our devices. As Christians, it is important to think well about the way we use the tools at our disposal, or we will find ourselves worse off for having used them. Technology cannot answer the fundamental questions of meaning, morality and purpose. Our technological systems train us to view life through the priorities of productivity and efficiency rather than contemplation and wisdom. We forget who we are as human beings. Professor Iain Provan said, ‘The church today is in the midst of a theological crisis… the pressing question now is not “Who is Jesus?” or “How can we be saved?” It is instead, “What is a human being?”’
David asked in Psalm 8 what is humanity that God is mindful of and cares for. Psalm 8 gives us the wisdom we need as human beings to live in our technological age.
- What David sees looking up
Light pollution prevents us from seeing a bright, beautiful night sky. We have lost our sense of wonder and awe because we are blinded by man-made lights. David described all that he saw in the night sky as the work of God’s fingers. God is incomprehensibly bigger than we are and He is sovereign over all. We are small, yet we exaggerate our sense of importance in our work. We need the right perspective in order to be happy. One of the most important factors of happiness, according to Arthur Brooks, is transcendence, which means thinking about things bigger than everyday life. Experiences that make us feel small and the universe big are not depressing but liberating. What is essential for happiness is seeing beyond ourselves. We cannot and should not be everywhere and everything all at once. We are constantly looking down at our tiny screens rather than looking up at God and His wonderful creation. We need to look up and be humbled, knowing that God is so much bigger and we are limited. - What David sees looking down
David is bewildered that God would pay attention to tiny human beings. God has placed us with huge responsibilities to rule over His works. Psalm 8 is an ode to God’s majesty. David recognised that our human agency to rule over God’s creation is derivative of God’s own rule and reign. We are made kings and queens by God’s extension of His reign over us. Genesis 1:27 tells us that God created humanity in His image. We are created with profound dignity and all human beings are able to contribute to the good life. The value of a human life is not determined by productivity or grades. It is given as a gift from God. Practically, we should not pretend that AI is not here or that it will go away. We need the right perspective on how to use this tool.
In current debates on AI and ethics, Professor Meghan Sullivan notes that the focus is on the ethical floor, which means ensuring that AI does not do bad things. There needs to be a human-first mentality in how we think about technology. She developed the DELTA Framework for AI Ethics, where the priority is how AI should help human beings flourish as loving and responsible persons. Optimisation and efficiency are no longer at the centre of the AI conversation. DELTA stands for Dignity, Embodiment, Love, Transcendence and Agency. The key question is how AI can enable us to contribute more meaningfully to one another’s lives rather than replace human beings. The question is not ‘Can I?’ but ‘Should I?’ Our approach must prioritise our humanity.
Scripture provides us with the right perspective by returning us to fundamentals and to what truly matters. At the centre of all is love. We are created for love, and Jesus said, ‘Love your neighbour as yourself, and love God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength.’ Psalm 8 reminds us that we are insignificant yet crowned with majesty. 1 John 4 tells us how much God loves us, that He sent His only Son to be human and insignificant like us, and that Jesus is also truly crowned with glory and majesty. What does it mean to be human? Look to Jesus and we will find the fullness of what we are meant to be.
(Sermon notes by Honey Vreugdewater)
PONDER | REFLECTION QUESTIONS
- Study Scripture:
a. Read Psalm 8 aloud together.
b. Notice the opening and closing refrain, “O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!” The Hebrew word for ‘majestic’ here is ‘addir’, which derives from the verb ‘adar’ – to be great/ majestic. ‘Addir’/‘adar’ is a related to the Hebrew word ‘hadar’. This word is found in verse 5, “…and crowned him with glory and honour.” Another way to translate this verse is, “…and crowned him with glory and majesty” because ‘addir’ and ‘hadar’ are near synonyms in Hebrew.
c. The opening and closing refrains in this Psalm are an ode to God’s majesty/ royalty. How then should we feel or think when the Psalmist says that he crowns us with glory and majesty?
d. Bonus: watch BibleProject’s visual commentary on Psalm 8 together. https://bibleproject.com/videos/psalm-8/. Also, a useful tool for original language studies is STEPBible.org - Recall Sermon:
a. What were the two realities that David overwhelmed by in Psalm 8?
b. What Old Testament passage does the idea of “ruling” connect back to? - Relate Personally:
a. How do you currently perceive God and how do you perceive yourself in relation to the creator of the cosmos?
b. How does holding together both your smallness in the cosmos and your dignity as God’s image-bearer shape the way you see yourself and other people right now? - Commit to Action:
a. Iain Provan argues that the most pressing question of our day is “What is a human being?” – and that the church needs to answer it well.
b. Share one concrete way this sermon is calling you to live differently – whether it’s in how you think about your own worth, how you treat others as image-bearers, or how you engage the cultural conversation about what it means to be human.
Psalm 8 (Preacher’s translation):
O Yahweh, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory above the heavens
From the mouth of babies and infants
you have established a stronghold
on account of your adversaries,
to stop the enemy and the avenger.
When I consider your heavens,
the work of your fingers,
the moon and stars, which you established,
What is humanity that you remember them?
and the children of Adam that you attend to them?
Though you have made them a little lower than the divine,
yet with glory and majesty you have crowned them!
You have made them rulers over the works of your hands,
all things – you have set under their feet.
Sheep and oxen, all of them
and also the beasts of the field,
birds of the skies and fish of the sea,
what passes through the ways of the seas.
O Yahweh, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!
