Christian spirituality: A humanity in need of renewal
We need to reflect afresh on what it means to be human
Just over a week ago, the Archdiocese of Malta launched a position document regarding the ethical use of AI. In one sense, as a document dealing with ethics, it tackles individual issues such as privacy, workers’ rights, and the environment. But there’s another, deeper sense in which the document seeks to focus on that which is (or at least, should be) the overarching subject of any ethical discourse – humanity itself.
This is precisely why the opening vision of the document asserts ‘Making humans ‘more’ human’. In acting ethically, whether it’s in the field of AI, or politics, or medicine, we seek to act in a ‘more’ human way, that is to say, in a manner that befits our own dignity, and respects the dignity of others.
Becoming ‘more human’ is thus understood as becoming more authentic and genuine in our relationships, or more aware of how best to order and prioritise the various aspects of our life, or more conscious of our place in the world, and our purpose in it. To be ethical, in a sense, is to strive to act in a way that reflects who we truly are.
Yet who we truly are seems to be an ever-elusive question. To ‘know thyself’ has always been a challenging exhortation, and it feels as if our present culture and way of life make this endeavour harder than ever. Many feel as if they are in a constant race – for more time, for more money, for more control.
And ironically, in an age where humans have never wielded such power technologically, many feel they are powerless to take control of their lives as they desire. An economic model that is built on always needing more, coupled with a culture that tells us that satisfaction is one purchase away, has left us unhappy and frustrated. We need to reflect afresh on what it means to be human.
An economic model that is built on always needing more, coupled with a culture that tells us that satisfaction is one purchase away, has left us unhappy and frustrated
In this light, the Christian story can offer something that is truly Good News to us. Many are under the mistaken Platonic impression that the Church dismisses or looks down on the body and our earthly existence – as if it is something we have to ‘get out of the way’ in order to ‘get to heaven’. Yet the very fact that the Son of God chose to take up a bodily form, a human form, should immediately tell us otherwise.
In a world that turns further and further towards the virtual and the artificial, the Incarnation tells us that the human and the real are to be privileged. Following the patristic dictum that ‘God became man so that man can become like God’, we should understand that we can only become like God if we live out our humanity in a truly authentic way. True flourishing thus becomes the path to holiness.
Over four consecutive Sundays – on March 1, 8, 15 and 22 – I have been invited to share reflections on our humanity and how it can be renewed; how we are in need of refocus and recreation, and why we shouldn’t fear our imperfections and insufficiencies. These reflections will be held at the Metropolitan Cathedral, Mdina, at 5pm, followed by mass. All are welcome to join.
