Automation

I’ve been seeing this commercial recently for one of the big financial institutions. It starts with a guy asking a smart device to turn on his lights. The device asks him to repeat his command. Then, the guy gets into a taxi and, as he tells the person he thinks is the driver where he wants to go, he sees it’s a self-driving vehicle and there is, in fact, no human driver. You can see the distraught look on his face. Then, he stops for a coffee and has to order it from a robot. He asks for no sugar, but the robot repeats with sugar and adds it to his coffee.

Finally, he goes to the financial firm that has real people available to help their customers. This must be a common marketing message these large investment firms are trying to communicate. Another large financial firm has a commercial where a sports personality stops by and not only gets personal help, but a set of clothes, too.

“But there was a man named Simon, who had previously practiced magic in the city and amazed the people of Samaria, saying that he himself was somebody great. They all paid attention to him, from the least to the greatest, saying, “This man is the power of God that is called Great.” And they paid attention to him because for a long time he had amazed them with his magic. But when they believed Philip as he preached good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. Even Simon himself believed, and after being baptized he continued with Philip. And seeing signs and great miracles performed, he was amazed. Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent to them Peter and John, who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, for he had not yet fallen on any of them, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit. Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money, saying, “Give me this power also, so that anyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.” But Peter said to him, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money! You have neither part nor lot in this matter, for your heart is not right before God. Repent, therefore, of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, the intent of your heart may be forgiven you. For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity.” And Simon answered, “Pray for me to the Lord, that nothing of what you have said may come upon me.” - Acts 8:9-24 ESV

I’m not saying all companies want or don’t want to give their customers individual attention.  I do believe all companies want to sell their product and will try to make you happy within legal and profit constraints. Simon, in the depiction in Acts, appears to sincerely believe he was doing good work and was anxious to do more. He was even willing to pay the apostles to be able to provide more services. This is a perfect example of a secular product being sold.

But note the response. The apostles quickly pointed out that his heart wasn’t in the right place and the Holy Spirit couldn’t be bought with money.

Look in your heart and discern why you do what you do. Do you do everything for the glory of God or to be recognized as doing the right thing? The difference matters.