To open the Bible is to step into a world in which shepherding, farming, swords and plowshares were the stuff of everyday life. The gospel message is affixed to such images by way of parable and metaphor, but it is not fossilized in ancient culture. If anything, the ancient imagery of the Bible serves as a reminder of how enduring God’s Word is. I still look forward to the day when nations will beat their swords into plowshares, and I know this ancient promise remains, even if the ancient technology does not.

The exercise of dominion over the earth demands that we build, explore, create and discover. In a word, it demands technology. Like most things, however, technology can be used for good or for evil; so we must always think carefully about the ends to which we apply it. Ever since the tower of Babel was built, technology has been both a source and expression of human pride. On the other hand, Solomon’s temple and Hezekiah’s tunnel depended on the best technology of ...