There’s a lot going on in Matthew 27. This week as I was reading through this story again, I was struck by the word “responsibility.”
In 2010, a researcher at MIT wrote a book called “Alone Together.” Dr. Sherry Turkle was looking at the impact of advances in digital technology about 10 years into the Internet age.
Here’s how she describes the findings of her research: Connectivity offers the illusion of companionship without the demands of friendship.
Remember, she’s writing this 15 years ago. Her research was completed before smartphones became ubiquitous and the advent of social media. She summarized the proliferation of digital technology by saying it has led to attachment without responsibility.
God envisions a different world. Cain asks, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” The stories of the Bible answer that question with a resounding YES.
When the Israelites enter the promised land, they are commanded by God not to harvest the edges of their fields but to leave them for the poor and foreigners who do not have enough.
When Jesus says the great commandment is to love God and love your neighbor, there’s a quick follow-up question: Who is my neighbor?
We all wonder, Isn’t there a line? And once that line has been crossed, aren’t I free from the responsibility to love? We, like Pontius Pilate, are often looking for ways to wash our hands. To remove ourselves from taking responsibility.
Reflection:
- Where do you see attachment without responsibility playing out in our world?
- In what ways do you find yourself falling for the “illusion of companionship” rather than the real thing?
- What would it look like for you to take more responsibility when it comes to loving God and loving your neighbor?