Truth, Science and the Public Arena 

Opening Prayer: 

Lord Jesus, this century is widely known as ‘the Bio-tech Century’, with advances in all the emerging technologies (bio, info/digital, nano, virtual reality, artificial intelligence, and robotics). This has deep implications for your church and for our mission, particularly in relation to the biblical truth of what it means to be human. Help us to promote authentically Christian responses and practical action in the arena of public policies, to ensure that science and technology are used not to manipulate, distort, and destroy, but to preserve and better fulfil our humanness, as those whom our Father has created in his own image. Amen.

Reflection: 

Truth, Science and Emerging Technologies

We call on: 

a. Local church leaders to (i) encourage, support and ask questions of church members who are professionally engaged in science, technology, healthcare and public policy, and (ii) to present to theologically thoughtful students the need for Christians to enter these arenas. 

b. Seminaries to engage with these fields in their curricula, so future Church leaders and theological educators develop an informed Christian critique of the new technologies. 

c. Theologians, and Christians in government, business, academia and technical fields, to form national or regional ‘think tanks’ or partnerships to engage with new technologies, and to speak into the shaping of public policy with a voice that is biblical and relevant.

d. All local Christian communities to demonstrate respect for the unique dignity and sanctity of human life, by practical and holistic caring which integrates the physical, emotional, relational and spiritual aspects of our created humanity. 

Truth and the Public Arenas

The interlocking arenas of Government, Business and Academia have a strong influence on the values of each nation and, in human terms, define the freedom of the Church. 

a. We encourage Christ-followers to be actively engaged in these spheres, both in public service or private enterprise, in order to shape societal values and influence public debate. We encourage support for Christ-centred schools and universities that are committed to academic excellence and biblical truth. 

Closing Prayer: 

We pray against corruption as it is condemned in the Bible; it undermines economic development, distorts fair decision-making, and destroys social cohesion. No nation is free of corruption. We invite and lift up Christians in the workplace, especially young entrepreneurs, to think creatively about how they can best stand against this scourge. We encourage young Christian academics to consider a long-term career in the secular university, to both teach and develop their discipline from a biblical worldview, thereby to influence their subject field. We dare not neglect the Academy. Amen.

Ask God to pour out his Spirit to stir us with a vision of an evangelical church for every people.

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Let’s continue praying and working together for the fulfillment of the Great Commission. The next daily plan we recommend is Building the Peace of Christ in Our Divided and Broken World.  

Learn more about this series and receive other free, handpicked missional resources from the Lausanne Movement by visiting www.lausanne.org/devotional-plan-ctc. www.lausanne.org/devotional-plan-ctc.www.lausanne.org/devotional-plan-ctc.

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