OK, so just by the title of this post you can tell that it's not going to be a standard "code post" where I explore some finer points of a .NET class or a specific practice in software development. But, I hope that if you have time you will read through this article with an open mind and give it some consideration. Perhaps you will find things that resonate with you or at the least prompt some deeper thinking.
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There are two things in my life that I have a passion for, though I have much to learn about both. One is technology and the other is Jesus Christ. Lately I have been reflecting on how these two passions intersect in life.
A Brief Overview of My Experience with Both
My passion for technology, particularly computer technology, was developed a bit later in life than for some who have my same profession as a Computer Programmer. A number of years after of college I was working for a major insurance company in Chattanooga, TN when, around 2002, I was asked to develop a Microsoft Access application to track requests and receipt of medical records for claims that were being managed. Through this application I became familiar with Visual Basic for Applications and did much work in VBA code. Shortly after that I began to venture into the world of .NET 1.0 and have worked in each version of the Framework since then. Most of my experience has been with VB.NET though I have often rewritten or converted parts of C# code and find myself ever more comfortable with that language. (I digress though.) Over the past two years I have been able to develop my own understanding of software development, architecture OOP, Design Patterns and various Best Practices has come quite a long way.
My passion for Jesus Christ has been the the common thread running through the fabric of my life since I was a child. That is not to say that I am a great spiritual sage. I find myself often struggling on my spiritual journey. But, then, that is why God came to earth in the person of Jesus to begin with. We all find ourselves struggling to live in this life. We know the pain and suffering, sorrow and grief that is common to everyone on planet earth. And we all, at some point in time, recognize that the world is not as it should be. The question is, who is going to fix it? It is my belief that Jesus Christ in the only one who can fix this world and the people who live in it. Humanity itself clearly cannot fix this world as evidenced my the manifold wars and catastrophes throughout history. Rather, the one who must fix the world and restore it to its original perfection is the one who made it in the first place, namely God, in the person of Jesus. Not only do we find in Jesus the resolution to the problems with the world and ourselves, but we also find in Him the absolute purpose of all that exists in this world, including technology. This then is where my two passions intersect and where I find my greatest purpose and joy in life.
The Intersection of Technology and Spirituality
Technology is such a wonderful and intriguing area which has much potential to do good in the world, but also much potential for evil. It is only when we utilize and extend technology in accordance with God's intention for it, that we will avoid the pitfalls of technology and succeed in spreading good throughout the world by the means of technology. When we acknowledge the inseparable connection between technology and the One who created it, we will find ourselves driven to use and develop technology according to those purposes that He created it for. For me that means that I find great satisfaction in working on applications used by local law enforcement and court systems because they are working to bring about justice in society. They strive to defend and protect those who are persecuted and those who have become victims in criminal activity. This is inline with God's own nature as he revealed himself to us in Jesus, for he teaches us to "act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with God".
There are of course many other aspects to the intersection of spirituality and technology and hopefully in the course of time I will be able to explore some of them on this blog.
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