Echoing the teacher of Ecclesiastes I often find myself saying that there is nothing new under the sun. And what I mean by that is every fight has probably been had multiple times in the past. The people and the exact words change, but the fights are exactly the same. An example came up in the 20-something group as we were studying 2 Timothy. Paul remarks, “Hymenaeus and Philetus, who have swerved from the truth, saying that the resurrection has already happened. They are upsetting the faith of some (2 Timothy 2:17-18).” That “the resurrection has already happened” is every repeat of the Late Great Planet Earth, Left Behind, Rapture worry ever expressed. And those are just three in my lifetime. That specific one seems to come back about every 30 years. That one also happens any time “we are falling behind” becomes the dominant argument of any debate.
Which is my crossover Amos 5:18 which is our Old Testament reading this week. In the argument over Artificial Intelligence today there are two camps. First is the restrictionist or slow down camp. This is probably best represented by the Anthropic safety team and people like Eliezer Yudkowski and the “effective altruist” group. The name of his book is If Anybody Builds It, We All Die. The second is the accelerationist camp. This is probably OpenAI, China, Peter Thiel and everyone building Data Centers. The data center people just want to make money while there is money to be made. The others on that list have an idea that mirrors the other side – the Singularity. The faster we can hasten the singularity the better it will be for all humans. At least that is the sales pitch. They might agree with that previous book title, but think the world would be better without humans anyway. And if you think that is a stretch take a listen to Ross Douthat asking Peter Thiel if he wants humans to survive and the long pause before he answers. (https://youtu.be/0NkYxjE23JA?si=-7V719msp1C1jev8)
Singularity is just the modern geek word for The Day of the LORD. That day when everything changes. Amos is sent to the Northern Kingdom in the reigns of Uzziah and Jeroboam II. Those reigns were something of a Golden Age for Israel materially. They had expanded the Kingdom almost to the extent of Solomon and Samaria sat on Ivory beds (Amos 6:4). And in one way you can say they didn’t neglect their religious duty. At least exteriorly they held the feasts. They brought the sacrifices appointed. But the prophets were sent and held everything against them (Amos 4:1-5) and prophesied that the Day of the LORD was coming. And you can imagine the argument. One side argued “let’s hurry up the day of the LORD.” The other wondered how we could avoid it or push it out. Now Amos had already given the answer to how to avoid it – Repent. Seek the LORD and live (Amos 5:4-17). But nobody actually wants to do that. That’s hard.
But Amos does take up the other side, “Woe to you who desire the day of the LORD! Why would you have the day of the LORD? (Amos 5:18).” Do you really think this is something that you survive?
Now I’m not arguing that the AI singularity the accelerationists want is the actual Day of the LORD or that AI really has the power to destroy everything. I tend to think that is a category error. Akin to thinking that nuclear anything is going to kill us. It might have the potential, but it would be a human behind it that “pushes the button.” What that fight emphasizes is how Christian eschatology and its thought patterns turn up in the oddest places, like Silicon Valley. And how those arguments repeat. The slow down folks are not saying repent and seeking the LORD. They are just saying go slow enough we can control it. While the acceleration side is merely “let it burn.”
The gospel proclamation in such a case does start with seek the LORD and live. But it also would include the proclamation that the Day of the LORD is His day. There is nothing that you can do to either accelerate it or slow it down. Christ will return when he returns. Until that day, “let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream (Amos 5:24).” Which it does, from the cross and the riven side of water and blood, into your baptism and the Supper. Yes, the day of the LORD is one of darkness for those in the dark. But it is for you a day of light. Because you walk in the light of Christ.
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