Technology and the Deadly Sin of Envy

When did the queen become evil? She had already fallen into sin in the opening paragraphs of the fairy tale recorded by the Brothers Grimm. Before she tricked Snow White into biting the poisoned apple, before she ordered the huntsman to bring Snow White into the woods and kill her, she had already started down the path of evil:  she fell into the sin of envy. She envied her young stepdaughter when the magic mirror announced the fairest in the land was no longer the queen, but rather Snow White. Envy was the start of the queen’s malevolence.

In this article from my blog series on Technology and the Seven Deadly Sins, I take a look at the sin of envy. Envy is a feeling of discontent because someone else has something better -- better possessions, better looks, better friends, etc. Envy is dissatisfaction with one’s own lot in life when compared to others. Envy often starts out by admiring someone else or simply wanting something better. These are not bad things. Admiration and a desire to improve are good and even noble sentiments.

It is not wrong to admire someone else. Admiration is positive appreciation and respect. It may be the appreciation of beauty or respect for skill. However, admiration can devolve into contempt. We start to despise the person we formerly honored. We start to believe that we deserve something as much as they do. Admiration then becomes the sin of envy.

It is also not wrong to want something better for yourself. A homeless person is not wrong to wish for three meals a day. A student aspiring to a professional career is not wrong to wish for a good education, a well-compensated job, or a nice home. The drive and hard work towards self-improvement can be good. However, when that desire becomes self-centered dissatisfaction and discontent, often visible as heavy complaining, that desire becomes sin. Discontent driven from a sense of entitlement causes us to commit the sin of envy in jealousy of others whom we perceive are undeservedly entitled. 

How do the noble desires of respectful admiration and sincere self-improvement become corrupted into envy? Envy is subtle. We do not even notice our own envy, and even when we see it, we hardly consider it sin. We can nurse hidden discontentment until it becomes envy, settling in our bones until it rots into bitterness. All the while, people may not notice from the outside. This hidden, subtle sin lies just beneath the surface, robbing us of joy and dislodging our gratitude to God for what we have.

Envy is everywhere. Who is without envy? And most people
Are unaware or unashamed of being envious. 

    -- T.S. Eliot 

We may minimize envy, yet the Bible clearly labels envy and coveting as sins. It is clear in the Old Testament: “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.” (Exodus 20:17) It is also clear in the New Testament: “Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.” (Galatians 5:26) “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy.” (1 Cor 13:4)

Envy is often a subtle part of a chain of sins. It can be caused by other sins, such as pride. If we are proud of our abilities or possessions, then we may become envious when someone surpasses us. Envy can take on specific forms. Jealousy is a form of envy, often coupled with a fear of being replaced. Coveting is a form of envy, where the object of our envy is something we could potentially take or steal from our neighbor, rather than an attribute we desire such as strength or beauty. Envy can cause other sins. When we are envious, we often try to tear down the object of our envy through gossip, insults, or worse.

Technology-driven Envy

In the modern world, tech gadgets are some of the more obvious of our neighbor’s possessions to covet. Granted, it doesn’t take technological devices to generate envy of our neighbor’s belongings. I might covet my neighbor’s beautiful sculpture or perfect lawn. However, technology is often a driver of envy. One of my neighbors has a bigger TV, another has brighter and more numerous Christmas lights, the next has a faster car. I don’t need to look far to find plenty to tempt me into envy. Even that perfect lawn is the result of technology, as short green grass in perfect uniformity is not naturally occurring, but manufactured from planting cultivated grass seed, applying chemical fertilizers and weed killer, and trimming regularly with a mechanical mower. When we become discontent, whining that the neighbor’s grass is greener or that their Christmas light display is bigger, we have fallen into the sin of envy.

We can also envy someone’s technological skill. Professionals working in technical domains have specialized knowledge. That knowledge represents power, in terms of career, influence, and more. Admiring another’s technical skills can be fine when that admiration produces encouragement toward self-improvement. Where it becomes discontent, admiration turns into envy.

Technology can tempt us into envy due to the frequent upgrade cycle of tech gadgets. Granted, technology is not the only product often marketed as the next “new thing” -- fashion, food, and many other products are often updated to provide a new experience that people flock to purchase. However, technology is inherently an inventive domain that produces the new and unusual as a matter of course. We covet our neighbor’s slightly newer smartphone or TV when ours is only a couple of years or even mere months older. Gadget envy leads to consumerism, materialism, and poor stewardship. We throw out perfectly satisfactory technology that would have lasted many more years, simply to surpass our neighbor.

Technology gives us more neighbors to envy. Due to social media, our neighborhood seems to include not only the couple next door but the brightest pop stars in the world. Today we not only need to keep up with the Joneses but also the Kardashians. Today we not only need to keep up with the other parents at our own child’s school but with the thousands of parents posting idyllic images of their children on Instagram and Facebook. The global crowdsourcing popularity contest of “likes” results in daily encounters with the creme de la creme: the most beautiful, talented, influential, smartest, wealthiest people on the planet. Technology has connected us globally, and thus our discontent can easily find so many more people to envy.

There is another side to that coin of envy. I may inadvertently stoke sin in others by presenting a false version of myself. I may feel pressured to present my best life -- not my real life -- when posting on social media, carefully curating a life story that is seen through rose-colored glasses. I polish my image literally and figuratively to make myself seem better, purer, and more successful. That is not the real me. It is an illusion. I leave out the real-life grit and struggle. I leave out the full picture that admits my foibles and faults. If I was more honest with my friends they would have less to envy, but perhaps more to love.

Scripture clearly warns us about the dangers of envy. Jealousy drives Joseph’s brothers to nearly kill him, but greed overcomes their jealousy at the last moment, selling him into slavery. Jealousy led Cain all the way to murdering Abel. Ahab envied Naboth’s vineyard. When Naboth would not sell it to him, Jezebel hatched a scheme to have him falsely accused and stoned to death. Even King David was guilty of this sin. He coveted the wife of Uriah. David slept with her while Uriah was away at war and Bathsheba became pregnant. David arranged for Uriah to return from the front lines to report on the war’s progress, as a ruse to create an opportunity for Uriah to sleep with his wife, thus obscuring the child’s true paternity. But the ruse did not work. Uriah would not return home in honor of his fellow warriors who remained on the front lines. David then resorted to directing Joab, the commander of his army, to arrange for Uriah to be left exposed during the fighting, so that he was killed.

Scripture also warns us that envy is insatiable. We keep thinking that if only we had this or that, we would be satisfied. The problem is that we will never have enough. The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence simply because it is something we don’t have. Even when we attain something, our wandering eyes fix on yet another thing we don’t have. “Death and Destruction are never satisfied, and neither are human eyes.” (Proverbs 27:20)  

Finding Contentment

While scripture consistently describes envy, jealousy, and coveting as sinful, it also describes the cure for envy: contentment. For example, Jesus prescribes contentment with one’s salary: “Then some soldiers asked him, “And what should we do?” He replied, “Don’t extort money and don’t accuse people falsely—be content with your pay.” (Luke 3:14)  We can be content because God is with us: “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’” (Hebrews 13:5) Whatever our circumstances, we can find strength and contentment through Christ: “I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.“ (Philippians 4:12-13)  Trusting in God leaves us free from worry and discontent: “The fear of the Lord leads to life; then one rests content, untouched by trouble.” (Proverbs 19:23)

One side note: contentment does not justify laziness. Look at contentment with one’s pay as an example. On the one hand, we should not resort to illicit means of gain, such as cheating, bribery, extortion, or embezzlement. We must work honestly. However, we must also work earnestly. The reason we can be satisfied is that we have worked hard enough to provide for ourselves. “A sluggard’s appetite is never filled, but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied.” (Proverbs 13:4) Our contentment comes in part because we have labored sufficiently to legitimately enjoy the fruits of that labor. 

God’s call for contentment may still seem unrealistic in a world filled with technology and a culture hooked on constant upgrades. When the next gadget comes out with better specs than last year’s model, it can be hard to resist. My wife and I recently purchased new smartphones, though I was definitely more excited than she was about the new and better features. With much of our personal data now on our phones, it took a couple of days before we really had everything in place. Even with much of the data transferred automatically, along with a password manager to easily coordinate the logins that wouldn’t transfer from the old phone to the new, we still had several settings to be adjusted and several apps that had to be reloaded. My wife observed: “This was why I wasn’t in a hurry to upgrade.” She was more content than I was -- at least when it came to our smartphones. We did moderate our consumption a little. Rather than buying each generation of phone as it comes along, we skip some models before upgrading, waiting for significant and substantive improvements rather than minor upgrades and cosmetic updates. Even so, it is easy to fall prey to the upgrade cycle. Most of us could use a little more discernment here.

In closing, recognize that technology shows us more people in the world who appear to be better off in some way, and thus someone to envy. At the same time, technology can also show us the great diversity of humans, so that we realize there are plenty of people just like us and plenty of people less well off than us. Realizing this, we can be grateful for what we have; we can be content.

Technology & the Deadly Sin of Anger

Don’t get mad. Get even. In the 1995 film Falling Down, Michael Douglas plays the character of William Foster -- an ordinary guy, your typical shirt & tie professional. However, in the congested, crowded urban jungle of Los Angeles, the setting for this film, Foster becomes frustrated with how the inhabitants of the jungle treat him. Each time he is slighted, he reacts with more aggression than warranted. He removes the obstacles before him using a bat, then automatic weapons, and then a rocket launcher.  Although his reactions are cool and calculated, the anger that simmers below the surface is palpable. Getting even, taking revenge, seeking vengeance -- these are not in place of anger. Rather, they are surely driven by it.  He does get mad, but it is not clear that he gets even.

Technology is part of almost every obstacle that Foster confronts: urban decay, the congested mass of cars in a traffic jam, the construction zone blocking his path, the armed thugs that try to rob him. At the same time, technology empowers Foster himself to take greater and greater revenge, amplifying his will and his wrath.  

In this article from my blog series on Technology and the Seven Deadly Sins, I take a look at the sin of anger, and more specifically, how technology can fan the flames of our wrath. Let’s start by talking about how an emotion can become a sin, then make the connection to technology, and wrap up with some practical tips to avoid this deadly sin.

How Can an Emotion Be a Sin?

Anger is an emotion:  a strong feeling of irritation, antagonism, displeasure, hostility, and belligerence. Anger is also one of the seven deadly sins. There are also probably more than seven sins and the wages of all of them are deadly. Nevertheless, anger is one of the seven that early Christian thinkers believed were the root of all the others. 

How can anger be a sin, if we cannot help how we feel? If we cannot stop an emotion from arising, then how can we be held accountable? While we can’t stop a feeling, we can process it. If we do not manage turbulent emotions, they can grow into gut-wrenching wrath and rage, turning quickly from internal feelings to external, sinful action. When anger turns to action, temptation turns to sin.

Anger may lead to action, but it is not the original cause. Anger itself is a reaction, a secondary emotion. Anger puts us in a self-preservation mode, protecting us from raw fundamental emotions. The primary emotions that drive anger can include:

• fear (anxiety, worry, jealousy)
• sadness (loss, disappointment, discouragement, hurt)
• shame (embarrassment, guilt, humiliation, rejection, frustration)

We use anger to protect ourselves, lashing out to hurt the other person more than they hurt us. Somewhat irrationally, we think that hurting them will stop them from hurting us. Unfortunately, technology often empowers our anger -- and sometimes it induces our wrath in the first place.

Technology Empowers Anger

We sometimes describe someone easily angered by saying that they “fly right off the handle.”  Literally, this refers to an ax head that is insufficiently secured to the handle so that mid-swing it is flung back into the air like a slingshot. Presumably, an angry person who loses their cool has lost their head, flown into actions they will later regret, wreaking damage just as a flying ax head might. Isn’t it interesting that we use so many technological metaphors for anger: fly off the handle, let off steam, boil over, blow up, blow a fuse, blow a gasket. 

Technology empowering anger is not new. In one of the panes of his painting “The Seven Deadly Sins and the Four Last Things,” Hieronymus Bosch depicted the sin of wrath as two men fighting in a duel, though it appears the fight started with smashing small tables on each other.  Furniture, then knives and swords extended their reach to inflict greater damage on the object of their wrath. Even in the middle ages, anger drove irate humans to use the tools at hand to amplify the power of their rage. 

When anger turns to action, temptation turns to sin. Active anger puts us in a blind rage, unable to foresee the consequences of our actions clearly, not caring whether we will later regret the damage we do. In this murderous state, we lack judgment and lack mercy. We reach for the nearest tool at hand to inflict maximum damage, bringing to bear overwhelming harm disproportionate to the injury that triggered our anger.  We reach for tools because tools make us stronger. If we can hurt someone by swinging a fist, how much more so by swinging a bat. If we can injure by hurling a pan, how much more so by firing a projectile.

You’ve heard that one should use the right tool for the job. The problem is that anger clouds our judgment, so a tool in the hands of an angry person is likely to be used indiscriminately. Tools forged specifically as weapons are not the only technology wrongly used in anger. Technology amplifies our abilities, so any technology might become a weapon in angry hands. 

The automobile is one such technology that can become an agent of wrath. This is despite many safeguards. The technology of the car is heavily regulated. We must reach a certain age and must pass a special training course before earning a license to drive. We must know the rules of the road, yet road rage can provoke us into breaking those rules to strike back at the driver that cut us off. The automobile -- intended for individualized mid-range transportation with climate-controlled comfort -- suddenly becomes a two-ton bat that we swing at our adversary, a deadly projectile that we fire their way. In our irrational fury, it matters little that we are sitting inside the very weapon we wield, risking our own lives as well as others.

Anger is empowered not only by physical technology but also by virtual. In the early days of the Internet, a conversation on Usenet newsgroups that escalated into the trading of crude insults was known as a flame war. Today, social media sites like Facebook or Twitter make it all too easy to troll, bully, or post hate speech dripping with venom. 

Technology Induces Anger

In our anger, we might reach for technology, but technology can also feed our temper in the first place. Technology has taught us impatience, which leads to anger. Modern electronic technology provides instant responses so that a delay of only seconds can frustrate us. It is not only high-tech smartphones or laptops that induce this lack of patience. The simple cooking technology of the microwave delivers meals in times measured in seconds or minutes at the most. When we are habitually impatient, we are primed to become angry.

Technology has also made it easier to become angry because we empathize less. Long-distance communication dating as far back as the telegraph has also reduced empathy by enabling impersonal interaction and creating psychological distance between us. It is easier to stereotype someone we don’t know well. When we empathize less, we are quick to take offense, becoming angry.

Some technologies make us both impatient and unempathetic. The automobile enabled workers to live further from their jobs, thus making suburbs possible. Today, we cocoon ourselves away from neighbors, no longer knowing them well. Thus empathy is reduced. At the same time, the automobile reduces patience: we can jump in the car and drive immediately to wherever we wish.  We no longer count technological convenience as a blessing -- we treat it as a birthright.  When our perceived rights are not served, we feel slighted and become angry.  Although technology easily empowers and engenders anger, scripture gives us ancient wisdom about cooling one’s temper.

Biblical Wisdom for Modern Anger

Pride may have been the first sin when Adam and Eve sought to be like God, but the second story of sin we read in Genesis is about anger.  

So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast. Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it. (Genesis 4:5-7)  

Cain’s ire is not yet fratricidal sin at this point, but God warns that if he does not exert self-control, anger will take control of him, turning into sin.  The New Testament makes this distinction as well: “In your anger do not sin: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry.” (Ephesians 4:26) The emotion of anger does not start as sin, but if we are not vigilant it becomes sin.

The apostle Paul goes on to tell the church in Ephesus that anger and the like must be eliminated in favor of their opposites: “Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” (Ephesians 4:31-32)  Anger produces sin, not the fruit that God desires of us: “... human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.” (James 1:20).  Clearly, the Bible calls us to stop anger before it produces sin -- but that is easier said than done. Let’s now look at some ways we might go about overcoming anger, particularly when technology is involved.

Practical Tips to Turn Aside Anger

How do we prevent the emotion of anger from becoming sinful action? First, take time to understand the underlying sources of anger for yourself. We don’t all get angry for the same reasons, but self-preservation is often our hidden (perhaps even subconscious) purpose. In reality, we are avoiding the raw feelings of fear, sadness, and shame. The world comes at us unexpectedly, hurting us so badly that we react in anger. If we can recognize this cycle before it turns to anger, we may be able to exert some self-control before things get out of hand. “A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man holds it in check.” (Proverbs 29:11)  Even so, it is not easy to face fear, sadness, and shame. Our minds would rather ignore that pain and turn it into anger. But there is good news: we need not face them alone. Jesus gives us grace. He takes away our naked shame and dresses us with his own righteousness. Even if fear and shame sometimes are too much for us -- turning to anger and then to sin -- we have forgiveness through Christ’s blood.

 

Second, while we can prevent anger by understanding the underlying emotions that drive it,  we can also prevent it by understanding the physical conditions that trigger it. It is much easier to become angry if stressed. My wife and I have learned that shopping together goes more smoothly if I get a snack mid-way through. Otherwise, I don’t realize that I am getting tired or frustrated. I do not even realize I am hungry yet, but my body is priming me to become “hangry”. Hunger is not the only stressor -- exhaustion can leave us vulnerable as well. We need to take care of our physical needs so that we are better prepared to handle the little bumps in the road of life. Take care of yourself by eating right, sleeping right, taking breaks from long stretches of work, and so forth. 

Third, don’t let technology stress you out. You must control it, lest it control you. For all the convenience tech gadgets offer, we often find ourselves busier with technology than without it. For example, we feel time pressure when we over-regulate our lives with time-keeping, planning, and communication technologies. Alarms, to-do lists, calendars, and project planners are all fine technologies when used wisely, but they can also overwhelm you if you use them to assign a task to every waking minute. 

Technology can also stress you out due to its distracting nature. Humans are not very good at multitasking, so allowing too many notifications on your phone or computer can be a huge interruption to your workflow, causing eventual stress because you get behind. We can even lose sleep due to this distraction when we peek at our smartphones one more time as we retire for the evening and get drawn into endless emails and Facebook posts.

Fourth, besides stress-inducing tech, we should also avoid tech that empowers too quickly or easily. Much of technology is geared toward instant satisfaction, but it is possible to find technology that provides a slight barrier to unwise actions. For example, the safety lock on a gun prevents unintentional discharge, but also creates a psychological barrier that forces a slight pause before using firearms. Virtual technology can also have a built-in “safety lock”. Some email programs let you set up a small delay between the time you click on the Send button and the time it is actually delivered, allowing you to take it back before you regret it. One can also use so-called tone detector software that will analyze a message and flag text that appears to exhibit a negative or even hostile attitude.

Fifth, back away from anger. Sometimes we fail to notice anger boiling up. A situation catches us unaware until we feel our blood starting to boil and a knot forming in our stomach. “A hot-tempered man stirs up conflict, but a man slow to anger calms strife.” (Proverbs 15:18) Even at this moment when sin is crouching at the door, we can break the cycle and calm down. Take a breath, count to ten, slow yourself down, walk away, or do whatever it takes to de-escalate your rising anger. With practice, you can learn to recognize anger before it gets out of hand.

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Unchecked, the emotion of anger becomes deadly sin. Holding on to anger results in hurting yourself emotionally and even physically, as constant bitterness can produce health problems. As Christians, we are called to let go of anger, even if we have been unjustly wronged. We are called to turn the other cheek, to love the perpetrator of that injustice. Let go of your anger and let God take away the anxiety, the hurt, the shame. Trade them in for joy, by the grace of God. 

If you are a Christian professional designing new technology, be on the lookout for ways you can creatively enhance your product to prevent use in anger. Include a  “safety lock” that helps prevent the careless use of your device. Design a video game that teaches the virtue of patience through the challenges it provides. Enhance a communication technology to help users become more empathetic. In doing so, by the grace of God, you can be the redemptive agent that helps your users trade anger for joy.

Technological Love in the Time of Coronavirus

The greatest commandment is to love God and our neighbor. How do we love our neighbors in a time of worldwide pandemic like coronavirus -- a time when we must maintain social distance, avoid gatherings, and stay at home? God has provided us with tools. Technology is a gift, meant to be used in gratitude, along with all the gifts of creation and culture. We can use that gift today in the face of nationwide lockdowns and mounting infections.

First, we can love our neighbors using existing technology. Even before this outbreak, my wife and I regularly depended on Facebook, Facetime, and other social media to connect with our children and grandchildren that live out of state. Today, we are finding video chat services to be even more essential, even for relatives that live nearby. News sites on the web keep us up to date, including sites using GIS (Geographic Information System) to help us monitor the spread of the virus. Home delivery services help minimize contact while obtaining essential supplies like milk, fruit, ... and chocolate!  

Families are not the only ones leveraging electronic communication at this time. Many churches have switched their worship services from physical to virtual, streaming the sermon and music to their congregation members who are all watching from home. I am currently serving on our church council. We held our most recent elder's meeting using Google Hangouts, including a time of praying together. I imagined it might be awkward trying to deliberate over decisions and closing with an open prayer time, but it worked quite well! Employers are finding creative ways to keep their businesses running while most employees work from home, using messaging services, file sharing, distributed revision control systems, and more. Schools are turning to online instruction while their campuses remain closed. Each of these organizations is loving their neighbor, whether they be parishioners, employees, or students.

Second, we can love our neighbors by creating new technology. Engineers and scientists worldwide are contributing to the fight against Coronavirus, but they are not the only ones who can invent. All of us reflect God's image, and part of that "imago dei" is creativity. We adapt and make do. We strap together make-shift tools with duct tape and wire. We use the resources we have at hand to get the job done. We are a little like the engineers in that scene from Apollo 13 where they needed to make a square peg fit in a round hole, when the filters began failing on the disabled spacecraft. 

If God is the father of creativity, necessity has always been the mother of invention. The dire need driven by Coronavirus today is driving new innovation. Check out these stories of creative people solving problems with tech:

• Hospitals turn to crowdsourcing and 3D printing amid equipment shortages
• Folding@Home Now More Powerful Than World's Top 7 Supercomputers, Combined
• How Arizona sewing enthusiasts are helping solve the face mask shortage

Whether it is a high-tech solution using 3D printers or supercomputers, or a commonplace tech like sewing machines, all these tools -- and more -- should be employed in the fight against coronavirus. Perhaps you are one of the many good people standing in the frontlines to provide medical care, deliver supplies, and keep shelves stocked with food. I am awed by your bravery and grateful for your service. I pray that God grants you safety, patience, wisdom, and creativity. Perhaps you are not a first responder in this crisis -- but you can play a part in the solution. Stay home so that you do not spread the disease, but get creative. Can you write a word of encouragement to a friend who is feeling particularly isolated? Can you write a song to help your family pass the time? Can you develop software to help smooth the logistics of medical supply delivery? Can you analyze the data to determine more accurately who is most at risk? Can you invent a better ventilator? Can you find a vaccine? Likely no one person can say yes to all of these, but everyone can find a way to express God-given creativity. Some of those expressions will be new technology, designing our devices to enable us to show some love to our neighbors, wherever they might be in the world.